Ace Rogue
by Xavier V. Royal
Summary: Criminal. Crook. Scoundrel. What did it matter anyways? That wouldn't stop her from becoming champion no matter what label they put on her. Nothing would change that... would it? -A realistic take on the ORAS game series (Hoenn) with a twist.
1. Episode I: Run

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon, or anything related to Pokemon or its affiliates. I have taken some of the elements from the Pokemon Game Series and gave my own spin to it.**

* * *

**Episode I**:

**Run**

* * *

A siren blared throughout the dark streets of Rustboro. The teenaged girl jolted from her sleep, her heart thumping rapidly from the rude awakening. She sat frozen under her bedsheets, and after a few seconds, the sound faded into the night. A silent palm on her chest was all it took to calm herself down now that the crisis was averted. She was thankful the police had driven past her home, unlike last time.

'_Well, this isn't really a home,_' she thought. Unable to fall back to sleep, she slid out of her covers and flipped on her light switch. The dim ceiling light hummed to life, and her tiny, plain room was made apparent. The wallpaper featuring rows of Wingull and Pelipper had already started peeling away, and the tiled, white floor contained numerous cracks. The girl walked up to her small, red dresser with a mirror and opened the first drawer. She rummaged through her clothing until she finally pulled out a silver necklace hidden near the back. It was a simple, decorated, tiny ball that was attached to a thin, silver chain. She quickly cupped the necklace in her hand and twirled her head towards the worn-out door, making sure it was locked. Finally, she wrapped the silver accessory around her neck before admiring it through the dusty mirror.

The girl's delicate and attractive face smiled back at her with luscious, rosy lips. Her bright, jewel green eyes gazed into her reflection, and she ran a hand around her slender neck. The red nightgown she wore complimented her long, scarlet hair, now a tousled mess. Despite being seventeen years old, she was quite short, clocking in at about five feet and three inches.

Suddenly, a door creaked outside her room, and her heart pulsed with every following stomp. She quickly switched the lights off and scurried under her covers, still wearing the necklace that she was now clutching in her hand. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, producing the notion that she was asleep. Light crept into her room, and the silhouette of a heavy-set woman appeared in the doorway. After a few seconds that felt like years, the creaking of her ungreased door began, darkening the room once again.

She waited until the loud footsteps receded before relaxing her stiff form. The cold metal of her necklace began to warm in her palm, and she closed her eyes. Outside her window, ghastly clouds veiled the moon in their haze, and the darkness finally lulled her back into a deep sleep.

A low hum began to emit from the girl's palm, but she was unaware of it in her slumber. Dark purplish energy seemed to wisp around her, and the temperature dropped. The girl shivered, and there was a troubled expression on her dormant face. Soon, the energy dissipated, but not before a disembodied voice whispered, its razor-sharp voice cutting through the air like a blade being dragged over a rock.

'_Mine…'_

* * *

'_Just three days, Moxy. In three days, you will be free from this orphanage to do whatever your pretty head pleases_,' Moxy reassured herself in front of her mirror. The sunlight shone through her window, but it struggled to keep the room well-lit. The sound of cars made it to Moxy's ears, their continuous honks grating them. She wasn't particularly annoyed by it, but she couldn't handle anything in the morning unless she had two things. One was food, and the other waited outside her room.

She was dressed in a uniform that consisted of a black, high-collared blouse, a navy-blue skirt, and white socks in black slip-ons. Her red hair was well-combed, and two silver earrings dangled from her small ears. The silver necklace she held while she slept now lay on her dresser, and it glimmered from the reflection of the sun's rays.

"No, that was a fresh grab. If someone sees you wearing it, you could get in trouble," Moxy whispered her thoughts out loud. Her voice was silvery but high-pitched, a trait she liked but hated about herself. On one hand, it helped her look innocent in the eyes of her superiors. On the other hand, people picked on her for voice, especially the bullies at the Rustboro Training Academy.

Moxy hid the necklace inside her top drawer. After assessing her appearance once more, she grabbed a brown backpack and headed out of her room. The second she opened her door, the cutest purr in the whole world emanated from somewhere down the spiral staircase. The sound of skittering paws against the hard floor drew closer as Moxy made her way down to the large, decorated lobby. At the last step, the form of her best friend came into view around the corner.

"Good morning, Sylveon!" Moxy exclaimed. The four-legged, pink, and white creature leaped into Moxy's arms and began licking her face.

"C'mon stop that, hehe." She laughed in between words, trying to put her hand between her face and Sylveon's relentless licking.

From around the same corner, the headmistress' walked out, a frown on her large, mole-riddled face as she watched Moxy playing with Sylveon. Once she caught sight of the woman, Moxy put down Sylveon gently and walked towards the headmistress.

"Ms. Pennington," the girl addressed politely. The large woman wore a black dress, and her long, graying hair could've used a good wash. She moved in an unbalanced fashion towards Moxy, every step of her black slippers generating a loud slap against the blue tiles. Ms. Pennington made sure Moxy's backpack was on tightly and brushed off any specks of dust on the girl's blouse with her large, rough hand. The woman's hot breath met Moxy's face, which she had to endure as to not upset the headmistress.

"Are you ready for school, Moxy?" asked the headmistress as she forced a paper lunch bag into Moxy's arms. Her thick voice carried a hint of authority, and each word out of her plump lips seemed to criticize the redheaded girl. Moxy nodded in response, but Ms. Pennington's wrinkled, hazel eyes squinted at something on the floor. Moxy was puzzled until she realized Ms. Pennington was eyeing the Sylveon, who became pale under the headmistresses terrifying gaze. Moxy was quick to kneel in front of her pokemon.

"Sorry, Sylveon. Going to have to ball you up for now," Moxy whispered with a tinge of sadness. Sylveon purred lightly, stroking one of her feelers along Moxy's red cheek. The girl pulled out a red and white pokeball from her bag and gently tapped its front on Sylveon's forehead. A brilliant, red light surrounded Sylveon before engulfing the pokemon into the pokeball. Moxy put the pokeball inside her backpack, as well as the bag of lunch given to her by Ms. Pennington.

"I heard a noise in your room last night. What were you doing up?" she asked her hands on her hips.

"I-,"

"And don't you lie to me," Ms. Pennington added, a sickly finger pointed at the girl. "You better not have been trying to sneak out again."

"I wasn't sneaking out, Madame. The police cars woke me in the middle of the night, and I decided to do some last-minute preparations," Moxy explained, pointing to her backpack.

A furious expression formed on the headmistress's wrinkled face, and she quickly grasped the teenager's wrist. Moxy winced in pain as Ms. Pennington started to wring it, "I said not to lie to me, brat."

"I-I'm not, I swear!" Moxy pleaded, wrenching her arm from the headmistress's grip.

After a few seconds of glaring, the headmistress finally gave up and let go of Moxy's wrist, "I want you back here by seven on the dot, young lady. You may think since your birthday is in three days you are exempt from the rules, but I assure you there will be a punishment if you are even a second over seven. SEVEN!"

Moxy coddled her wrist silently as she hurried out of the orphanage. Ms. Pennington screeched out 'seven' once more before slamming the huge wooden door behind her. A couple of bystanders witnessed Moxy's departure, and their hushed tones caused the girl to hide her face in embarrassment.

Once the large, three-story brick orphanage was out of sight, Moxy stomped her foot on the dusty, stone-brick sidewalk. After rummaging through her backpack, she clicked Sylveon's pokeball, priming it and letting the pokemon out.

"I can't wait to get the hell out of that place," she hissed, her eyes burning with hatred.

When Sylveon emerged from the multi-colored light, the pokemon noticed her trainer's angry face. She wrapped one of her ribbon-like feelers around Moxy's hand, and a sense of calmness washed away Moxy's anger and lingering wrist pain. However grateful for the feeling, Moxy was well-aware of its temporary, drug-like effects. Nevertheless, she took in a waft of the crisp, spring air around her, and the two began their stroll down the sidewalk of Rustboro's busy streets.

Rustboro was a fine city dotted with buildings and high-rises. It was the kind of place where someone could start a business since Rustboro was filled with people and opportunities. Most of the buildings were made of sandstone to fit a theme. Those were complexes built for mass housing, to Moxy's knowledge. However, the more interesting buildings were taller, more advanced, and located in the northmost part of the city. Those were the more successful businesses, such as the Devon Corporation, Quartz Mall, and the Rustboro Security Agency. The Rustboro Training Academy, the best school in Hoenn, stood right at the border to the southmost part of the city. This was also the school where Moxy was going to.

Suddenly, she was stirred from her thoughts by a robotic, low-pitched voice.

"Violation. Scanning pokemon and trainer ID. Do not flee or resist."

Moxy's soul jumped out of her body for a split second. How could they have found out? Sweat formed around her hairline, and her breathing came out in short rasps. She turned around to see an orange drone with an erratic, blue ectoplasm surrounding it a few meters away from her. The words "Police" were printed across all four of its small helicopter propellers, and two barrelled cannons protruded from its side. This was a Rotom possessing a police drone.

Fortunately, the drone wasn't facing to Moxy, rather an unkempt-looking man who must have been walking behind her. And his Grimer.

The Rotom unit hovered around the man while its blue, electronic eyes emitted a cone of blue light that scanned the man's face. The man tried to say something, but he was interrupted by the light hitting his eyes. People walking down the sidewalk made wide arcs to avoid the Rotom's business. After a few seconds, the light turned green.

"Facial recognition completed. Citizen 035903376." the Rotom said before repeating its scan on the Grimer. The sludge pokemon tried to escape the light by hiding behind its trainer's leg, but the cone of light flashed green again, indicating its scan was complete.

"Grimer 035903376. Class: C. Identifications are valid. Citizen, are you aware you have violated law C-1301 and C-1303? Encapsulate your Grimer immediately." the Rotom ordered.

The man's eyes widened, "Violation?! Just for walking with my pokemon?! I walk her here every day, this makes no sense!" he huffed accusing, putting his arm between the drone and his frightened pokemon.

"Law C-1301 and law C-1303 states any Class C specimen that expels an unnaturally foul odor or tracts a substance must be kept encapsulated within city limits unless otherwise instructed by legal order or with a specific pokemon license in an SPL requested zone." There were pauses between each number and coupled with its monotonous, drawn-out speeches, it seemed to agitate the man further.

"Does citizen 035903376 have legal order or an SPL license?"

"An SP what now?" the man raised his eyebrow.

"Is a repetition required for citizen 0359-"

"No, I don't have one." The man interrupted. The Rotom's eyes switched red in response, and Moxy flinched from the sound of its twin side cannons cocking.

"Therefore by League authority, you are required to encapsulate your Grimer or this unit will be forced to apprehend you."

At this point, any notion of the man's bravado had disappeared as he stared down the barrel of the cannon, "Woah! I'll put her away, just don't hurt me, okay!?"

The Grimer looked angry, and she raised her arms, ready to strike.

"It's okay, Gry," the man stopped the pokemon from escalating the situation. He pulled out a pokeball and returned the Grimer as quickly as he could. When the red light from the ball faded, the Rotom's eyes returned to their neon blue.

"The League thanks you for complying, citizen. This has been recorded. Another violation of equal proportions will warrant a ticket. Good day." The Rotom hovered away before the man could get any other word in. Moxy's heart rate slowed as the sound of the Rotom's propellers faded in the distance. She put a hand to her chest, thanking Arceus, or whoever was watching over her.

"W-What the hell are you looking at?!" The man yelled, his eyebrows arched as he caught Moxy still ogling at him.

Moxy pulled Sylveon by her feeler and they hurried back on their path, neither of them looking back.

"That was a close one..." she muttered when they were a distance away. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of her head. Sylveon's ears raised in response, and she looked at her trainer.

"Uhh... nothing, Sylveon. That's the first time we've seen a Rotom in this part of the city, right?"

Sylveon nodded and one of her ears drooped in confusion.

'_Must be about what happened last night,_' Moxy thought. Not wanting to risk a confrontation with another Rotom, Moxy made a sharp turn into an alley between a store and an apartment. Sylveon yelped in surprise at their uncharted deviation.

"It's a shortcut. Don't worry." Moxy confided. Sylveon acknowledged her trainer silently, or so Moxy thought. Moxy saw two Zigzagoons rummaging through a dumpster, and they scurried behind it at Moxy's sight. Being inside the alley did away with that feeling that all eyes were on her. It felt safe.

Soon they entered another sidewalk, this one less crowded than the other. A small fruit stand that was selling a variety of berries in angled baskets could be seen a short way from Moxy's position. Moxy gawked at the plump, scrumptious Oran berries, almost salivating at their sight. The twenty-something-year-old shopkeeper was lazing about in his plastic chair, and he hadn't noticed Moxy yet.

"Wait here, Sylvie," Moxy hushed to her pokemon. Sylveon tried to protest, but Moxy was already on the move. She scanned her surroundings for any onlookers before walking up to the stand.

Moxy picked up an Oran berry and held it high up in the air, her lips puckered, and eyes squinted. She inspected the berry for about a minute or so until the shopkeeper finally noticed.

"Um, are you going to buy that or what?" he said, his baggy, almond-shaped eyes unblinking.

"There is a problem with all your berries. They're horribly bruised. Which farm do you get these from?" she asked, channeling her inner Ms. Pennington to sound as snobbish as possible.

"What are you talking about?" he said, slowly hoisting himself from his chair. The man snatched the berry out of her hand, and Moxy pointed to a couple of spots with one hand. While the shopkeeper closely inspected where she pointed, Moxy cupped two, small berries into her other hand.

The man put the berry back in the basket it was in, "There's nothing wrong with them, they are a deep blue in certain spots on purpose."

"Ah, my mistake. Well, it's certainly unappetizing, so I think I'll take my leave," she said, quickly spinning around to her pokemon. The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, his expression sour as he retreated into his chair.

After they were out of the shopkeeper's sight, Moxy opened her hands, revealing the Oran berries. She munched on one while holding the other out to Sylveon, but the pokemon was glaring at the girl in contempt.

"Don't give me that look, Sylvie. I only took the smaller ones, so I thought I was being nice," she explained with a mouthful. Sylveon's eyes narrowed on that last statement, and Moxy sighed.

"So maybe I wasn't so nice. But at least I got us breakfast, and if you're going to be like that then maybe I'll eat your berry too," Moxy pouted, holding the berry high in the air. The bunny-eared pokemon cried out, pawing at Moxy's skirt with her small front legs. Moxy succumbed to Sylveon's adorable actions and tossed her the Oran berry. The pokemon hopped and caught the berry with her mouth, disregarding anything that had to do with how the berry was obtained.

They continued down the street and turned another corner. Farther down the road, the smaller buildings gave way to towering, glass skyscrapers, which meant this was the border of the two parts of Rustboro: the quiet district where the orphanage was and, in her words, crazy town. The part of the city bustling with crowds, traffic, and police. The Rustboro Training Academy could be seen just on the other side of the street. It was a large, sandstone-brick building built in a Gothic style, with arches, buttresses, and an open courtyard in the middle. It was one of the oldest buildings in Rustboro, and its architectural style compared to the other high-tech buildings in Rustboro proves it nonetheless. Moxy found it interesting rather than obsolete or archaic. Something about uncovering ancient knowledge within its grand walls to reach limitless heights. In all honesty, she was lucky to be going to this school. To be taught by one of the most prestigious trainers in Hoenn.

Children wearing uniforms like Moxy funneled out of large, yellow school buses. Moxy observed some of the younger kids who grouped up in circles, each catching the others up about yesterday's events or whatever it was they talked about as they endured the cold, morning air.

"Okay, Sylveon," Moxy started, kneeling in front of her pokemon. Sylveon bowed her head in discomfort, already knowing what Moxy was going to say, "I'm going to have to keep you in your ball until lunchtime."

A tiny whine escaped the pokemon's lips, and her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Moxy.

"Oh, Sylvie. You know they don't allow pokemon inside the school. We'll hang out at lunch, okay? Besides, the other kids will get jealous if they see you. I don't feel like getting picked on today."

Moxy pulled out Sylveon's ball. Out of all the sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, only those who had passed the Trainers License Exam with a score of ninety or above received a trainer permit to train pokemon. Of course, an adult with a license had to watch over the student's training for safety purposes.

However, a few, talented kids over the age of twelve but under sixteen got a chance to take the PTLE or the pseudo trainer's license exam. Usually the most prestigious child of a school. Passing that meant a twelve-year-old could get a permit early. However, there were a lot of restrictions that came with it, so it wasn't all that glamorous. Moxy was one of those few to have passed that exam, but she was different than all the other kids. Even the ones without permits.

She was an orphan. The only orphan in Rustboro City at the moment. Sure, it was a big city, and normally many children were orphaned here. However, those children were in and out before she even had a chance to get to know them. Hell, the last child there left a week ago. Except for her.

However, there was no one to blame but herself. Her record was stained after all. One look at it and potential parents ran. Moxy shook her head, not wanting to revisit that. Ever since that day, her classmates have never thought she deserved her pokemon or a permit.

Those were the kinds of kids that she differed from. They had what she didn't. People who cared about them instead of tossing them aside like trash. People who would help them with homework when the going got rough. People who would make sure their children didn't end up as thieves just to make ends meet. Just thinking about it boiled her mind. Sylveon could feel her dark thoughts, and the pokemon purred in reassurance while tightening the grip around her trainers' hand. Moxy mirrored her kindness with a grateful smile before returning the pokemon to her ball.

Moxy made her way towards the sandstone building, making sure to avoid the bigger groups who were more likely to taunt her as she walked by. She was almost at the archway entrance when two quiet voices reached her ear.

"Look, it's that redhead trainer, remember? The police interrupted a class to take her in," a brown-haired, snobby looking boy near the entrance whispered, a little too loudly. The thin, blonde girl talking to him snickered when she noticed Moxy.

"Don't know why the school bothered to give her a permit. She's a criminal. Any pokemon she trains is a guaranteed failure."

Moxy immediately whirled around, confronting the two gossips with wild eyes.

"You want to say something, say it to my face!" she snapped, venom in her voice. The two students covered their mouths in laughter before walking away from her. Other students nearby were jolted awake from Moxy's sudden burst, and they showed their displeasure with frowns and raised eyebrows.

Moxy clicked her tongue in annoyance, _'At least I have a permit, losers.'_

As soon as Moxy entered the front door, she was greeted with an odd sight. Students waited in a line to get through a metal detector. A conveyor belt on the left side brought backpacks through another, smaller metal detector. There was a tan, female officer, and she was instructing the students through.

_'This is new,'_ Moxy thought before standing in line with the rest of the students. It was more likely the school was taking precautions because of last night. All of this for a stupid necklace? It made no sense, so something else probably happened that night. Something serious.

"Next," the officer drawled.

Moxy put all her belongings on the conveyor belt stood in front of the detector to wait for the officer's order. She didn't know why, but being scanned made her feel uncomfortable. She had done a lot of bad things, but she was always careful. She never went anywhere with stolen goods on her person. However, what feared her was the unknown. If she had made a mistake or overlooked something important, now would be the time she would pay for the consequences. And she had no idea what it would be.

"Hmph," the officer eyes drew on Moxy. She assumed she must have recognized her. All the more reason to get through this as fast as possible.

Moxy gulped before stepping through the detector.

Nothing happened.

"Take your stuff and beat it," the police officer motioned her head towards the conveyor belt.

Moxy continued through the school. The interior looked like something out of a medieval movie. The floor was copper marble, and it was so glossy Moxy could easily see her reflection through it. Metal lockers decorated with colorful stickers leaned against the tall, sandstone walls. The hallway was packed with students wearing identical uniforms to Moxy.

Moxy walked up to her locker. She sighed at the red graffiti on her locker. She would clean it, but then it would be the fifteenth time she cleaned it, so attempting it again would be futile.

She tossed her lunch in the locker and headed to her first class, which was an advanced course in Pokemon Training. Upon entering the classroom, her eyes drifted towards the many portraits of common pokemon dotted along its white walls, and a blackboard leaned against the long end of the room. A large, finely crafted, mahogany desk situated itself in front of the blackboard, which overlooked four rows of smaller, wood desks. Teary-eyed students were seated in them, some of them yawning as they rested their heads against their arms. All the students in this class wore two-toned colored sports outfits that were popular among pokemon trainers for their flexibility in battle. However, the outfits were quite expensive, and Moxy couldn't afford one despite being a trainer herself. Asking Ms. Pennington was also out of the question. The students wore belts with a single pokeball clipped to them.

All but six desks were occupied with kids, and Moxy soon found out why.

Moxy raised her eyebrow at the five students lingering around her desk near the right-hand corner of the classroom. She made her way towards the students, all of whom were gawking at the desk with wide, hyena-like smiles on their faces. At Moxy's appearance, the students snickered and ran back to their seats.

She gasped in shock. The word 'Crook' was smeared across her desk in big, black marker, and the culprits laughed at Moxy's reaction. She tried to wipe the ink off her desk, but the marker must have been permanent, for no amount of rubbing would remove it.

Moxy's fear was realized as a girl with green hair and a red-yellow jacket among the group sneered at her, a black marker twirling around her long fingers. Moxy lowered her head, her eyebrows furrowing unsteadily at the girl.

'_Janice,_' a low growl formed deep inside Moxy's throat as she stared deep into the girl's nasty, gray eyes. Moxy tightened her already balled fist, ready to blow that smug grin right off her thin face.

"Good morning, class!" a cheery voice chimed in from the classroom's door. Moxy retreated into her seat, sending Janice a parting shot before turning to attention.

A short, pretty woman entered the room, and there was a huge smile plastered on her pretty face. Her brown hair was fashioned into two large pigtails that crisscrossed behind her head. The woman wore a black, miniskirt dress, red leggings, and a pair of black slip-ons. A long, red bowtie dangled around the collar of her white, buttoned, and short-sleeved shirt underneath. The lady had a black purse too, which she placed on the mahogany desk before starting class.

"Good morning Ms. Roxanne," the students monotoned in unison.

"You know the drill. Take out your homework," Roxanne addressed, her singsong voice projecting itself across the classroom.

All at once, the students did what they were told and Roxanne took out a red pen from her bag. She made her way down the rows of desks, scrutinizing and jotting a checkmark on each student's work. Moxy grumbled while pulling out a black, spiraled notebook from her bag. In the corner of her eye, she glanced at a graceful Janice opening a large, white binder, as if the book were some sort of holy constitution. Moxy imagined a scenario where her black notebook spun through the air and decapitated that stick-like neck of hers. Or she could just let Sylveon rip it off.

Unfortunately, all she could do now was hide the heinous word on her desk as Roxanne passed by.

"Can you show me your homework, Moxy?" Roxanne requested. Her voice was strained back as if increasing her volume any further would make the girl shatter. Moxy turned to the last page of her book which contained passages on common locations where the pokemon Salamance dwelled.

Roxanne skimmed it over, mumbling the rash handwriting directly off the page. "Commonly found hibernating deep inside caves… they only venture out when hungry… they love to fly since they were unable to do so in a previous evolution, so some will live high in the mountains of their homes… evidence shows that Meteor Falls is a good example of such a place…"

Moxy held her breath as Roxanne read the last bits. The teacher took a moment to think it over before nodding in satisfaction. She gave the essay a big, red checkmark before moving on to the next student. Moxy exhaled, thankful for her basic knowledge on the Bagon line, and glad she didn't get a zero for a rushed assignment.

After Roxanne had checked everyone's assignments, she began to lecture the class on the geography and pokemon habitats of the Kalos region, specifically around Western Kalos where the Reflection Cave resided. Moxy rested her head against her crossed arms on the desk as Roxanne spoke. She had already studied the entirety of the Kalos region, and her eyes began to doze on and off. Soon only the pitch of her teacher's voice reverberated in her mind as she drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Do we really have to do this?" the young girl complained. Beside her, a wet-eyed Eevee whimpered in front of a vibrant, red, and yellow pepper-like berry resting in a tall man's rough left hand. The man's sharp eyes judged the tiny pokemon before him, and his rocky jaw was expressionless. The sunlight merged with his white outfit, featuring a frilled button-down, slacks, and a pair of shoes. His long, ash-gray waves of hair glowed in the sunlight.

"Don't worry little one," the man confided the small, brown pokemon in an elegant, northern accent. His ice-blue eyes seemed to calm down the pokemon's nerves somewhat, "It will only last but a moment."

The three were in Rustboro's park, and the summer heat bore on them without end. Around them, Tailows chirped from their tree-top perches, and Poliwag played under an iconic, stone Politoed fountain in the distance. A few families enjoyed the hot day, whether that be admiring the fountain, running in the well-trimmed grass, or having a picnic under the shade of the tall trees.

"But what if something happens to my pokemon, Elliot?" the twelve-year-old girl mumbled. Her red, lush hair fell to her shoulders, and her bright green eyes were on the verge of tearing up. She wore a white sundress, as well as white slip-ons that complimented each other.

"Oh brother. Must I explain it to you again, Moxy? She will only feel the pain for a minute, that's all. If you want your pokemon to grow stronger, then you both need to make hard decisions. The strongest steel can only be forged within the hottest fire," Elliot explained, placing his hand over his heart passionately.

"Does Charles do this? I don't believe it," Moxy crossed her arms. Elliot sighed while putting two fingers between the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, yes, once a week until evolution. You shall then swap the berry for a different one. Since Eevee is of normal attribution, this Chople berry will create the illusion of being struck by a fighting type attack, therefore bolstering your pokemon's resilience to the fighting type. When she endures a Close-Combat from Brawly's Hariyama, you will thank me."

Moxy scratched her head, "I'm pretty sure a Close-Combat would kill Eevee, no matter what."

Elliot squinted his eyes, "That's not the point."

"Ughh, fine." Moxy finally gave up, surprising Elliot by snatching the berry from his open hand, "It will go down better if it comes from me."

"By all means." Elliot put his arms behind his back.

The girl knelt in front of her pokemon and gestured her to eat the berry. Hesitantly, the Eevee took a bite out of it from her trainers' hand. Nothing happened, and Moxy had a smile on her face.

"Wow, Eevee must be really-"

A sharp yelp that pierced the air and Eevee toppled onto her side, her body shaking in pain. A wide-eyed Moxy reached for a potion from her bag, but Elliot grasped her arm before the girl could take it out.

"No! You must have faith in your pokemon's strength," he insisted. Moxy's gaze faltered, every yelp from her pokemon causing her to wince.

"I believe in you!" she cried out suddenly, clenching her hands into fists, "A stupid berry isn't enough to take you down, come on!"

Surprisingly, Eevee used all her might to get up, her face turning red as she fought the pain. After one minute of fear and anxiety, Eevee relaxed. She smiled at Moxy and wagged her fluffy tail. It was as if she never went through the trial at all.

"Very well done, little one." Elliot praised the pokemon, tossing her a small Sitrus berry. The Eevee hopped up, eating the berry straight out of the air.

"Yay! Good job, girl!" Moxy beamed while petting her pokemon. Eevee yapped before jumping into her trainers' body, tackling her.

"Waaah!" Moxy yelled, tumbling onto the glimmering grass with Eevee in her arms. The pokemon nuzzled Moxy's stomach, and Moxy's legs flailed in the air as she laughed.

"Alright, that's enough of this tomfoolery," Elliot said, smiling at the young girl playing with her pokemon.

"Oh, one second!" Moxy exclaimed suddenly, throwing Eevee off her. The girl ran to a backpack that was leaning on the side of a nearby tree. When she came back, she was holding a cupcake. The bread was pink, and a small swirl of white frosting garnished the top of the cupcake.

Elliot crossed his arms as he watched the Eevee gobble up the cupcake in an instant, cream and cake flying everywhere, "You know, if you are keen on treating Eevee like a princess, she shall evolve into a Sylveon."

"What's wrong with a fairy type? They are super cute, and they scare dragon types away. Roar!" Moxy mimicked a dragon, and Eevee pretended to be fighting her.

"Fairy types are tough, but like all pokemon they have weaknesses. Besides, your Eevee, according to its battle behavior, is too careful. I would think you'd desired, em, an Umbreon to take advantage of that, or perhaps even a Leafeon."

"I don't care what Eevee evolves into. I just know that when she evolves, it's going to be awesome!" Moxy cheered.

Elliot didn't seem amused, "It would be smarter to think about her evolution now instead of saving it as a surprise for later. If you want to succeed in tournaments, then your team and strategy must be sound."

"I think I'll worry about that when I get my second pokemon. After all," Moxy cleared her voice, "'Battle isn't always about strength. It's about utilizing whatever advantages you can grasp.'" She said, making a bad impression of Elliot's voice.

"That is not how I sound,"

Moxy gave him a slick smile before cleaning up Eevee's cupcake disaster.

Elliot sighed, "to be honest, I can't say I'm not proud of how properly you've raised her from just an egg. I chose well."

Moxy hid her face behind her little hands, embarrassed from the compliment that came out of nowhere.

"Where did you get her, anyway? Moxy asked, trying to change the subject.

Elliot sat down, the grass crinkling under his weight, "You recall what happened in Unova?" his expression was grave as he spoke.

"Yeah. There was a war or something because," she tilted her head, trying to remember the name, "of uhh... Gennis?"

"Ghetsis," he corrected, his body tensing up, "The man who tried to rid the relationships between pokemon and humans."

Elliot stared silently at the floor for a few seconds. It looked like his jaw was hardening in his cheek. Moxy was unsure if it was a good idea to have brought that up. Elliot noticed her face, and he relaxed, the fire in his voice dying down, "I apologize, Moxy. It dredges up bad memories. Anyways, the League granted me two Eevee eggs because of my service to the region. Their species is rare in Unova, so it was meant to be a special gift. It was decided I would give one to Charles, and raise the other myself. However, Charles insisted you participate in his pokemon training. Upon seeing you had yet to gain a starter, I had no qualms about satisfying my younger brother's wishes instead of my own."

Moxy put a hand on Elliot's arm in an attempt to soothe him, "Well, it was very kind of you. I don't know what I would do without Eevee," Moxy thanked, smiling at her pokemon. Eevee brushed her body off the side of Moxy's leg in response.

Elliot gave Moxy a nod. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Elliot picked himself up, "Alright, enough of this. Charles should be finished with his lessons. We'll meet him at the mansion, and then we shall all train together."

Elliot placed his hand on Moxy's shoulder, and suddenly her vision began to darken. All the sounds drowned away until everything around her vanished. Only the feeling of Elliot's hand on her right shoulder was present, growing firmer with every passing second. One, two, three seconds passed, and the feeling began to shove her back and forth. A disembodied voice emanated from the darkness, but it was imperceptible to her. Suddenly, her world flashed white, and she finally heard what the voice was saying.

"Moxy. Wake. Up."

Moxy brought her head up from her desk. Roxanne was standing beside her, hand on her shoulder. Dazed, Moxy looked around the room and found all the students staring at her. She hid her face behind her hand in embarrassment.

"I'm terribly sorry Ms. Roxanne. I didn't mean to-" Moxy was cut short when her teacher motioned her hand towards the front door. Two men in beige trench coats with navy blue suits underneath were standing there. One had spiky, blond hair, a thin beard, and was well-built. He also wore a pair of jet-black shades. The other was leaner, paler, and a flat-topped police cap sat upon his short black hair. Both bore a gold shield on their chest with the words HNLE engraved on them.

"Moxy, these two gentlemen would like to talk with you for a moment," Roxanne whispered. It took a moment for Moxy to get her bearings, but once she did her heart began to pound in her chest. They were police officers with the Hoenn Law Enforcement, and they didn't look happy.

"I… I swear I didn't do anything, miss," Moxy mumbled.

Roxanne allowed a small smile to show and she rubbed Moxy's arm in reassurance, "Don't worry, dear. They just want to talk, that's all."

Moxy's head swirled with fear as she put all her belongings in her bag, got up, and walked hesitantly towards the officers. Moxy looked over at Janice who was mouthing the word 'crook' from across the classroom. The redheaded girl gritted her teeth together in her pursed lips. When Moxy reached the officers, one put his hand on her back and lead her out of the classroom.

Roxanne glanced at Moxy's now empty desk, and she was shocked at the horrendous word exposed for all to see.

_'Oh, Moxy. What have you gotten yourself into now?'_

* * *

The room was dark. Moxy crossed her arms and tapped her feet impatiently against the hard, blue floor. The police officers needed a quiet place to talk to Moxy, but it did her no good when they used the only vacant classroom with burnt-out lightbulbs. Why the school never fixed it, she'd never know.

She sat on the front desk of the middle row, her face peeved as she stared at the officers who sat on wooden chairs in front of her. Before any of the officers could get a word in, Moxy stood from her seat, interrupting them.

"I want a lawyer."

The officers looked at one another, smirks on their faces. The officer with the hat gestured the girl to sit down. "Calm down, Moxy, we aren't charging you with anything. Yet," he assured the girl with a bold expression. His voice was young and modulated, but stern. He continued, "Can you tell us why you're here?"

Moxy responded by moving her fingers across her mouth as if she were zipping it shut.

The blond man sighed in exhaustion, "C'mon Moxy, work with us. The captain doesn't like you much as is, what with your history and all. Stop givin' him more excuses to dislike you. So, I'm gonna ask you again now, and don't give me any of that sass, hear? Do you know why you're here?" his voice was southern sounding and more carefree than his partners. They both stared at her, waiting for an answer.

Moxy pouted her lips, "If there is no evidence, then I didn't do anything."

"This was a mistake, Ryker. Let's go," the officer with the hat whispered to his partner as he started to get out of his seat.

"Cool it, I've got this," Officer Ryker motioned him to stay put while pulling out a yellow folder from inside his jacket.

"There was a robbery last night," Ryker began, tossing the folder Moxy's way. Moxy feared what she would find if she opened the folder. A robbery? As in the robbery of Rustboro Antiquities?

"Well, go on. Open her up," Ryker said, noticing her hesitation. She took the folder into her hands and opened it. Her heart was relieved when the first photograph showed was the front of a building she recognized. The Rustboro Museum. Another photo showed a broken museum display case, and whatever was inside of it was now gone. Finally, there were forensic pictures like a shattered window, dirty footprints, and a destroyed control box. There was one more photograph at the bottom of the folder, but before Moxy could look at the picture Ryker snapped his fingers to grab her attention.

"The silent alarm was tripped when the display case broke, see. We hurried yonder, but the perp escaped before we could get there," Ryker slouched in his chair, "Nothin' on the security cameras 'cause they were disabled. They left a lot of evidence for the forensics team, meanin' they weren't professionals. I'm gonna ask you one last time now. There something you want to tell us?"

"I don't even know what was stolen. Is that why the city has been on high-alert?"

Ryker and the other officer looked at each other, then back at Moxy, "Yeah. Was a ruby. Huge. Worth about my entire life savings," Ryker chuckled at his own joke. Neither Moxy nor the other officer laughed with him. He coughed before continuing, "Supposed to be some kind of kumbaya between Hoenn and Unova, but someone nabbed it before it could get shipped. League even put out a bounty for the perp."

Moxy shook her head, "I was at the orphanage all night yesterday. You can ask Ms. Pennington. She knows."

"I know. We talked to her already, see. She told us she heard a noise in your room last night. She even let us check inside, but fortunately for you, we didn't find anythin'," Ryker grumbled. Moxy eased herself, thankful the police didn't find the silver necklace she'd stolen the other day. Or they may have found it, but as it wasn't related to their case they ignored it.

"However," he added, "If you would take a gander at that there last picture, you can see why we're concerned."

Moxy looked at the last picture, which showed bits of purple, reflective dust on the floor inside the building.

"You're a smart cookie, right? Can you explain to me what that is?" Ryker asked, his eyebrow arched. Moxy knew exactly what it was, and she wasn't afraid to give the blond officer a plain look as she explained it.

"That's fragmental dust psychic types leave behind when they use the move Teleport. The reflective attribute comes from the air they distort around them when they return to their marked area. Like entering a mirror that shatters after use. I don't own a psychic type, I own a fairy type. Now, are we done here?" Moxy asked impatiently.

"N-Now hold up a second," Ryker continued, hesitation in his voice, "Your friend… Charles owns a psychic type, and I know you got a silver tongue there. I bet you convinced him to lend you his pokemon."

"I also hope you know he is the son of your captain, officer," Moxy emphasized 'officer', "Espeon can't even learn Teleport. Well, not naturally at least."

"Naturally?"

Moxy sighed, "The only way for an Espeon to learn Teleport is for it to be tutored by a master in psychic type moves. Even then, it can take years for it to grasp the technique, and Charles' Espeon only evolved last year. If you're still doubting me, find and talk to him."

"These kids get smarter everyday…" Ryker mumbled, scratching his head.

Moxy wasn't done. She pulled out the picture with the footprints, "Look at the size of these prints. They're about size thirteen," She extended her small feet out for the officers, "That's about twice my size. How's that for smart?

The other officer grunted, "Tch. I told you this was a waste of our time."

"Now, now, Mike. Captain ordered us to check her out, and we did. So, we're done here."

Moxy narrowed her eyes at his statement, "Hold on one second. You're saying that the reason you embarrassed me in front of my entire class was not only because you had hardly any evidence it was me, but because Walter told you it could be me? Well thanks for wasting my time, morons."

"Not me. Just him," Officer Mike deadpanned, turning to Ryker. Mozy followed his gaze with a glare.

"Talk about getting slammed for takin' orders," Ryker scratched his head again before putting a hand on Michaels's shoulder, "Uhh, listen, why don't you wait outside. I want a quick word with her before I send her back to class,"

Mike grunted in acknowledgment. Ryker waited until Mike closed the door behind him before pulling out an unidentifiable object from his coat pocket.

"Listen, Nicole said you'd be turning eighteen in a few days. I'm guessing you're makin' for a pokemon journey as soon as she lets you go from the orphanage, right?"

Moxy, still impatient and upset about the interrogation going nowhere, gave him a nod.

"Some advice? Use that big brain of yours instead of those there sticky fingers," he said, dangling a silver necklace in front of her. The same silver necklace that should've been hidden inside her dresser.

Her assumption was right then. Her instincts screamed at her to make a break for it. But she realized it would do her no good. The necklace swayed from side to side, enthralling the teen.

"It happens to you too, huh? Somethin' about it makes it hard to peel your eyeballs off it. I just can't figure it out for the life of me."

Moxy blinked the trance out of her eyes and raised her brows in surprise, "I don't recognize that."

"Really?" Ryker copied her expression, "So it just found itself a nice, cozy little spot in your dresser then, right? Unless my eyes are foolin' me, it ain't floatin' around holding a bunch of keys. Stop playin' games with me and admit it already. I spoke with Rustboro's Antiquities this morning, see."

Moxy gave up and slumped in her chair, defeated, "Okay, you got me. Are you going to arrest me? It'll be better than spending the next three days in that shitty orphanage." The officer smirked in response.

"Relax, I'm not gonna arrest you," Ryker reassured her. He swung his arm around the back of his chair casually.

Moxy, while relieved at his word, was still suspicious, "I don't understand. If you know that I stole the necklace," she paused, lowering her voice, "Then you know I was out that night. So why are you asking me about a crime you know I didn't commit?"

Ryker scratched his head, "Right, that was just a front to get me to see you. Better if people didn't ask questions, see?"

Moxy sighed while rubbing one of her temples.

"But I understand why you stole it," he started, his tone becoming serious, "I'd hate to bring it up, but you're broken because of what happened back six years ago. With Dahlia. You're a rebel. You steal 'cause you know Nicole hates it."

"It's weird when you say that bitches name like you guys are friends," Moxy huffed.

"Sorry... 'Ms. Pennington' hates it," he corrected himself, "But it's more than that. You've got a knack for being a thief. And you love it. That adrenaline rush? You probably tell yourself you hate it when your heart races like so, but you're always puttin' yourself in those situations. You think your luck will never run out, but one day it'll happen so fast it'll make your head spin. And just like that, there's another two months of staring at iron bars."

"Stop acting as if you know me. We're not friends," Moxy glowered at Ryker, but the unsteadiness in her voice betrayed her words.

"But I do know you. Don't you remember you had to check in with me for a whole year after the incident?"

"Just because I gave you a slip of paper about my whereabouts every week doesn't mean you suddenly know what I'm feeling."

"And just what are you feeling? Pretty invincible now that you're out of here in three days is what I'm thinkin'. But then what? You got any plans once you get your license?"

"I do. People may not know it yet, but I will become the best trainer," Moxy's fist tightened, "Charles and I are going to become Champions, and no one will stop us."

Ryker leaned forward from his chair, putting his hands on the desk, "Life ain't all about becoming the best trainer, red. You don't make a livin' that way. You think a guy like Steven Stone gets by on just winnings? What would happen when your pokemon gets hungry, and you're half-way around the world with no one to help you? You'll steal again just to get by for one more day? That's what your life is gearin' up towards. To become the common crook,"

A vein popped in Moxy's head the moment he said that last word.

"I'm done here," Moxy stood up.

Ryker put his hands up, "Sorry. Guess it's still a touchy subject for you."

Moxy was silent. Ryker was starting to get on her nerves now. She knew what he was talking about, but she denied it. If her will was strong, she could be anything she wanted. She wasn't deluded. Because if she were, then her life was over before it had even begun.

"How about I make it up to you, huh?" he broke the silence, making a short glance at the door before lowering his voice, "Let's make a deal. Just hear me out, and I'll give you back this here beautiful necklace," Ryker proposed, jiggling the silver between his fingers.

"I think I've heard enough," she said crossly.

"C'mon," he stressed, "I'm riskin' my job for just another minute of your time."

She was still hesitant, "I just hear you out, and you'll give it to me?"

"Yep. No strings attached."

Moxy raised an eyebrow at his unintended pun. Or was it intended but he pretended not to understand? Regardless, she nodded and sat back down, eager to get her necklace back and get the hell out.

"What if I told you could be set for life? You'd never have to worry about stealing to get what you want. You'd never go hungry, either. You'd live a happy life with your pokemon, aiming to become a Champion in a new world. And it'll all be yours by using your... sticky fingers. Have I whet your appetite yet?"

Moxy tilted her head. First, he talked about what her future would be like if she continued to steal, and now it sounded like he wanted her to steal?

"You're saying I should steal s-"

"Woah, voice down," Ryker interrupted her, pointing his thumb at the door.

"Steal something worth a lot?" she finished her question in a whisper.

"That's just a tiny piece of the pie. You need to think bigger. What I mean is workin' with a team of people like you. It's risky, but at least you can live a comfortable life, free of worry. It's an opportunity for success."

She just stared at Ryker like he was crazy.

Ryker glanced at the door again, "Okay, how about this? I want you to wait outside the Devon Corporation for someone tonight, at around nine. An associate of mine. Just talk to him. He explains it better than I do."

"Tonight? I have to be back at the orphanage at seven, and Ms. Pennington isn't going to let me leave the house to see some random stranger."

"You've snuck out before. Just do it again. It'll be worth it."

She waved her hand in refusal, "No, no… Look, I'm sorry. This isn't going to work out for me."

"Hold up," Ryker stopped her. He stood up, took her hand, and stuffed the silver necklace inside her palm.

"At least think about it?" he urged, waiting for an answer. After a sigh, she gave him a small nod. Ryker smiled as he walked to the door, holding it open for Moxy.

"Let's get a move on then."

* * *

Mike was still waiting outside when the two exited the classroom.

"You took your time. Let's go," Mike motioned his head towards the exit.

"Tonight," Ryker mouthed to Moxy before walking away with his partner.

Suddenly, the school bell rang out, and seconds later the halls filled with students going to their next classes.

"The ordeals of learning," Moxy muttered in exhaustion as she made her way back to her classroom.

When she came back to class the entire room went silent. Moxy ignored everyone's stares and just listened to Roxanne teach. She endured two more periods of pokemon training before lunchtime rolled around. She sat down on a picnic table in the courtyard and let Sylveon out of her ball, as promised.

When she opened her lunch bag, there was a soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich covered in plastic wrap that almost caused Moxy to retch. Its contents were all over the bread, and the jelly looked grimy.

"You want this?" Moxy displayed it in the air for her. Sylveon's face twisted in disgust and she shook her head. Moxy gave Sylveon the sandwich and the pokemon quickly tossed it into the trashcan beside them.

Moxy pulled out a box of food from her bag called 'Toge-pellets'. Moxy turned the box around.

"Now with extra calcium," she deadpanned. Moxy took a cautious whiff of the food before jerking her nose in disgust, "you actually like this stuff, Sylvie?"

Sylveon was bopping her head up and down in excitement, waiting to be fed. Moxy sighed.

The girl settled on an apple before moving on to another four classes of general studies, which were language, history, mathematics, and human biology. Every minute in those classes felt like hours. She didn't need to learn about consonants, what happened to the Desert Resort in Unova one thousand years ago, what the quadratic formula was, or what was keeping her heart beating. Her final class was gymnastics, and it was the only class she even considered 'fun'. As soon as the final bell rung, Moxy hurried out of the school.

The clear, afternoon sky was beginning to darken, and the frosty air chilled Moxy to her core as she strolled along the stone sidewalk. Cars whizzed by her, and every dozen or so steps she would pass a lamppost. As she walked to the pokemon center, the whipping wind struck her face.

'_I could train Sylveon against a mini-tailwind in these conditions,_' Moxy thought. It took about five minutes to reach the center, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the tall, red-roofed building. Just around the right side of the center was a fenced-off area enclosing a clearing of gravel, and white lines in the clearing formed a rectangular perimeter that was the battleground. She ran across the street, making her way through the automatic doors and into the cream-yellow interior. Right off the bat, she noticed the cheery, pink dressed woman leaning over the reception counter drinking a coffee. Moxy gave her an unfocussed greeting as she walked out a side entrance to the training area.

There were a couple of benches to Moxy's immediate right and left, and pokemon trainers were seated at them. A battle was already taking place in the arena, and the trainers were watching, some even recording the battle on white devices. They were called Vs. Recorders, to Moxy's knowledge.

"Machop, Karate Chop!" someone yelled. In the middle of the rectangular arena, a Machop faced off against an angry-looking Makuhita. Two trainers were at the ends of the battlefield, yelling out orders to their pokemon.

The eighteen-year-old, male trainer on Machop's side was quite tall, averaging at around five feet and nine inches. His white and gray trainers' outfit tightened around his abs, and his broad shoulders bulged out. His polished, caramel hair rose in the front like fire, and there was a battle-hungry grin on his hard, chiseled face. Two, small pokeballs were clipped onto a belt he wore.

Makuhita's trainer was a young, amateurish looking girl with dark purple hair, and she fashioned a similar outfit, only it was red and black. Her eyes twitched as she watched Machop dance around her lagging pokemon. The Makuhita tried to punch the incoming Machop, but the gray, bipedal pokemon swerved around it. Machop planted a Karate Chop on the back Makuhita's head and knocked it down into the gravel. Machop did a fancy shuffle in place, its large, red eyes glinting with determination. The Makuhita picked itself back up, glaring at the flaunting Machop.

"Finish it off with Seismic Toss!" Machop's trainer called out. The trainers' form was composed as he observed the ongoing battle. Machop grinned as it sprinted towards the round pokemon, and that was when the girl made her move.

"Arm Thrust!" she yelled. Makuhita punched Machop right in its gut, winding the gray pokemon. A series of punches followed right after, and when Machop moved a step back, the Makuhita advanced one step forward, keeping up with the assault.

"Grab an arm and follow up with Revenge!" the boy called out impatiently. His pokemon did exactly what its trainer said, grabbing and pulling one of Makuhita's arms mid-thrust. Machop's body seared with power, and one lariat was all it took to knock out the bulky pokemon.

The girl scrambled as she unclipped Makuhita's pokeball. Red light enveloped the pokemon as it went inside the ball. The boy patted his Machop on its rugged head while returning the pokemon to its pokeball. He walked up to the girl, pulled out a yellow device from his jacket, and pressed a couple of buttons. With a little bit of analyzing, Moxy realized it was a PokeNav. The purple-haired girl reluctantly took out her PokeNav, punched in a couple of buttons, and waited until she had paid the other trainer the cash prize for winning. Both trainers put away their PokeNavs and shook hands before returning to the benches along the sides of the arena.

"Who's next?" the boy asked the cluster of trainers at the waiting area, a hint of challenge in his thick, northern accent.

"I am," Moxy spoke up before anyone could. At her sight, the boy's stormy blue eyes lit up in surprise.

"Oh Moxy, I didn't see you there," he gasped. "What did you… think of the battle?"

"That was just a warm-up, Charles," she said with a smirk.

Charles ran a hand through his hair, his eyebrows raised, "That's rich, coming from you. Well then, shall we?" he started, walking towards a pedestal near the left side of the arena. He pressed a button on the pedestal, and a large, glass screen emerged from white lines. The glass had numerous marks and streaks. Moxy threw her bag down by the benches and walked into the glass enclosure through a door. Charles followed her inside and pushed a switch near the door that closed off the arena. Both trainers walked towards opposite ends of the battlefield and faced each other.

"I hope Sylveon is ready!" he yelled from his side of the field while unclipping a pokeball.

"She always is," Moxy said quietly, pulling out a tiny pokeball. She clicked the middle of the ball, causing it to prime and enlarging it. She tossed it into the air, and it burst with multi-colored light. Sylveon landed on the hard gravel in a battle-ready stance.

Charles' pokeball opened in his hand, and a lilac, four-legged pokemon appeared out of the multi-colored light. The pupils of Espeon's starry, dark purple eyes were white, like Sylveon's, and the red gem on her forehead glistened under the blue sky. Her large, cat-like ears lit up at the sight of Sylveon, and she trilled happily in greeting. Sylveon purred in response, waving one of her feelers towards her friend.

Moxy snapped her fingers, and Sylveon narrowed her eyes at her opponent. The trainers at the benches were at the edge of their seats as they filmed the fight with their recorders. Some of them even let out their pokemon to watch.

Charles flicked his hair to the side and stayed silent. Moxy realized he was allowing her to make the first move.

"Echoed Voice!" she yelled, giving Charles no chance to react. Before her pokemon could even open her mouth, Espeon became enveloped in white energy. She sprinted at Sylveon at an alarming speed, headbutting her mid-move. Sylveon still shouted out as she was knocked aside, and the pink soundwave went flying towards the benches. Thankfully, the glass stopped the wave dead in its tracks. Espeon waved her head back snobbishly, the white energy dissipating from her body.

"Quick Attack, while she's trying to get up!" Charles repeated. Moxy's heart skipped as she scrambled to think of a way to defend her pokemon.

"Hide in the gravel using Sand Attack!" she finally shouted. Sylveon immediately sprang back on her feet and used her long feelers to thrash the gravel around her erratically, whipping up a small dust cloud. Espeon dashed away to a safe distance, examining the cloud with her large eyes.

Moxy clicked her tongue in annoyance. Espeon's were known for being able to predict the future by sensing sudden shifts in the wind with their sensitive fur. That was Roxanne told her, anyways. As she read the definition backward in her mind, she came up with an idea to beat Espeon.

If Sylveon created an artificial gust of air, then she could probably trick Espeon into dodging. A calculated Echoed Voice in the direction she landed should score a hit on the nimble pokemon.

"Can you hear me, Sylveon?" she asked, loud enough to hear through the thrashing but low enough just for Sylveon. The pokemon responded with a yip.

"Use Fairy Wind, three o'clock. Echoed Voice at nine o'clock," she ordered, maintaining her speech volume. A smile crept on her face when the dust cloud suddenly dissipated and a sparkling wind blew towards the right side of Sylveon's field of vision.

"Don't move! Use Confusion!" Charles called out, reading Moxy's ploy. The gem on Espeon's forehead flashed, and red circles of energy were expelled. Sylveon was too preoccupied with waiting for Espeon to dodge the fairy wind. The circles passed through her and red energy outlined Sylveon. She was lifted into the air by an unseen force, and her legs flailed as she tried to break free from the psychic grip. Espeon nudged her head to her right, and Sylveon was propelled into the glass wall. An intense expression formed on the Espeon's face and Sylveon yelped in pain. The psychic attack was pressing the delicate pokemon against the wall, and every cry from Sylveon caused Moxy to wince.

"Echoed Voice! Fight against the pressure!" Moxy commanded. Sylveon struggled against the pressure of the Confusion, directing her head towards Espeon. As soon as the opponent's figure was in her sights, Sylveon let loose a loud cry. Espeon was too slow to avoid the following pink soundwave that disoriented her. She withdrew her sensitive ears under her paws, which freed Sylveon from her psychokinetic hold. Sylveon's body enveloped in pink energy as she bounced off the glass wall, striking Espeon with a Quick Attack before she had a chance to stabilize itself. Espeon crashed into the gray sand, scattering gravel in her area of impact.

"Good stuff!" Moxy cheered her pokemon on. Sylveon did a short, angelic jump, squealing with joy. On the other side, Espeon composed herself, shaking the dirt off her fur.

"It isn't over just yet. Espeon, use Swift!" Charles ordered with a sharp tone.

"Counter with your own Swift!" Moxy said, pitting her Sylveon's power against Espeon's. The two pokemon spun around as they started their attacks. They both unleashed numerous stars from their tails, but Espeon's were white, while Sylveon's were pink. As the stars collided with each other, they exploded in flashes of energy. Moxy had to shield her eyes from the light they emitted with each collision. Sylveon sprang into the air, flipping as she fired more stars from her tail. Espeon did a quick sidestep, avoiding the air assault while shooting out counter stars. As soon as the last two stars clashed, Sylveon and Espeon locked eyes with one another, both panting.

Moxy snapped her fingers twice, the clear sound reverberating across the field. Sylveon flopped her left ear twice in response, and Moxy grinned.

"Get up close with Quick Attack!" she shouted, and pink energy enveloped Sylveon as she bounded towards Espeon, all four feelers outspread and aking across the gravel. Charles widened his eyes, aware of the trick Moxy was trying to pull.

"It's a distraction! Focus on Sylveon's follow up move!" he yelled out. As soon as Sylveon got close, Espeon dodged the headbutt with her deft reflexes.

"Use Echoed Voice!" Moxy added, her shoulders tensing up. Sylveon quickly spun around as she passed by Espeon, skating across the gravel and letting her feelers fall gently on the ground. A piercing cry filled the air as the Echoed Voice was let loose. Espeon anticipated the move, jumping up high and evading the soundwave.

'_Game over,_' Moxy untensed. Sylveon immediately raised her feelers off the gravel. Espeon sensed the move as soon as it presented itself, but she could do nothing, for she was suspended in the air. The feelers coiled around one of Espeon's slender, hind legs, and she gasped as she was dangled upside-down in the air. Sylveon aimed and drew in the deepest breath.

The soundwave boomed through Espeon as she was swathed in red light. Charles returned his pokemon, sighing in defeat. The glass walls slid back into the ground, and Moxy ran to her pokemon.

"You were spectacular, Sylvie!" she said, kneeling to hug Sylveon. Moxy flinched as her pokemon winced in pain. There was a visible bruise on Sylveon's fur, and she trembled weakly.

"We'll get you healed up right away, girl," Moxy promised, scratching Sylveon under her chin. She cooed as Moxy returned her pokemon to her ball. She stood up and walked over to Charles, who was gazing through the hard floor as if some sort of answer lay beneath it.

"Good match," Charles shook his head from his stupor and gave Moxy a warm smile, "I thought I had that one,"

Moxy put her hands on her hip, "You shouldn't have played so defensively. Espeon is much faster than Sylveon."

"I know but... it doesn't help that Sylveon's normal type moves are stronger than Espeon's. I'm already having a hard time getting her to learn Psybeam. And she still can't activate her new ability."

"I know she'll get there soon," Moxy assured him, "It took Sylveon a while to get Pixelate working too,"

Charles returned her kind words with a genuine smile, but Moxy held out her palm. Charles glanced at her hand before his smile turned sheepish.

"Too bad I don't have any solid cash on me right now," Charles simpered, scratching his head, "Maybe if you saved some money on a PokeNav..."

Moxy placed her hands on her hip, "Those aren't the rules. And you know Penny would take my money away before I could even say PokeNav."

"I'd have to make a long trip to the bank…"

"Tell you what. How about you treat me and Sylveon for lunch? Then we'll be even," she convinced. He squinted his eyes at her but succumbed when Moxy gave him the baby-doll eyes.

"Okay, but you better not order four appetizers like last time," he grumbled. Moxy grinned before walking back inside the pokemon center with him.

* * *

After Moxy's and Charles' pokemon's were fully healed, they went to Moxy's favorite restaurant, a seafood buffet named The Pearl. After the battle, they were hungrier than they thought, so they ended up buying a ton of food, to Charles' dismay. Moxy also bought some sweets, like cupcakes and cookies, for Sylveon and Espeon. Once they were done, they walked over to Rustboro Park and found a bench that overlooked the ocean. They watched their pokemon play under the setting sun while chowing down on cooked Clauncher meat.

"Please remind me never to take you out again," Charles said, dejected at the sight of his bank account from his PokeNav.

"If I did that, then we'd never hang out again," Moxy mumbled with a mouthful. Charles looked up at her, a sarcastically plain face about him.

"Aww cheer up," Moxy finally swallowed her food, punching Charles lightly on the shoulder, "When I become Champion, I'll buy us a feast fit for a king."

Charles let out a roar of laughter at that statement, and Moxy punched him again, this time a little harder.

"Ow, I'm just kidding," Charles grimaced, rubbing his shoulder.

"I'm serious. I'll beat the Elite Four first. Then I'll defeat Champion Steven. And after that, I'll become the Champion of the world, if that's even a title. I promise we are going to change the world."

"You're forgetting you need to win the Hoenn Conference, too," he added.

"That's gonna be a piece of cake."

"How can you be so sure?" Charles asked, "You haven't even gotten your first gym badge yet."

"Well, Roxanne won't let me battle her gym until I've received my trainer's license," Moxy pouted, crossing her arms, "If I had my way, I would have already wiped the floor with Liza and Tate."

Charles laughed again, this time almost falling off the bench, "Hmph!" huffed Moxy as she twirled her body away from him.

"Oh Moxy," he said, pulling her arm, "You know I believe in you, one hundred percent. You're just getting a little ahead of yourself."

After a few more pulls, Charles finally managed to get her to turn towards him again. She was glaring daggers at him.

"I'm sorry," he started while rummaging through his pocket, "But maybe this will turn your frown upside down."

Charles pulled out a thin but small white box, holding it out for Moxy to take.

"F-for me?" she stammered, and she could feel her cheeks burning. After a gesture, she took the box carefully and opened it. Its velvet-lined interior housed a brilliant, gold bracelet. The ceiling of the case had a gold engraving in it.

_For my best friend in the world_

"I know how much you like shiny things, so happy birthday, Mox," he said, the corners of his mouth parted into a huge smile.

She was speechless. The setting sun plinked light off the bracelet, and her eyes glimmered with happiness. Yes, he truly was her best friend in the whole world.

"I… don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. I'm just happy that you are happy."

Moxy gave Charles a big hug. No one has ever done something this nice for her. Well, ever since Dahlia or Elliot, the only people who really cared about her. After she put the white box in her backpack, they continued to watch their pokemon play. Moxy laughed when Sylveon tried to bite Espeon's tail, the psychic pokemon squeaking in surprise and slapping the pink pokemon in retaliation.

"Why don't you let your new pokemon out to play, too?" Moxy asked, a smile on her face, "Don't think I didn't notice you have a Machop in your party now. It's going to be tough to raise two pokemon."

Charles' erected himself properly on the bench, leaning forward and clasping his hands together, "He's… still integrating into the party."

"So, did you catch him or did big brother decide to grace you with another member to your party of one?" she asked.

"Umm... sort of. Machop was given to me, yes," Charles hesitated, "They are given as starters. To... new entries in the police academy."

"Entries?" Moxy gasped, her heart skipping a beat, "You mean... you enrolled in the police academy? In Unova? Which means... y-you're leaving,"

The boy looked away, "I'm sorry. Father made me. It's a tradition that all of the boys in the family become servants of justice, just like our ancestors who protected their regions as knights. Quoting my father."

"How long?"

Charles was reluctant to answer, but Moxy's scolding eyes caused him to spill, "About a year."

"WHAT!" she bounced from her seat, "A whole year? I... but you..."

Her voice became scratchy. Her throat turned dry. It was hard to swallow. Anger and sadness clouded her thoughts, and she couldn't form a cohesive sentence. She just waited for him to say something. Anything to alleviate the panic racking her mind.

"W-what if you came with me? You could stay in the family home. Train with Elliot. We-"

Moxy shook her head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, "You know I can't. I don't have a passport," she sniveled, "And your father wouldn't even let me. I'm stuck in this god-awful place. Alone."

"Don't say stuff like that. You're not alone. You have Sylveon."

"It's not the same," she rubbed her eyes, but the tears shed faster than she could dry them. A small sob escaped her lips. Charles rose from his seat to comfort her, but she turned away from him. Her shoulders heaved, and Charles placed his hands on them to steady her.

"I know I should stand up for myself, but... I just couldn't. I'm so sorry," Charles motioned his hand at her backpack on the floor, "I thought the bracelet could give you some comfort. Something to remember me by until I come back... if it's any consolation,"

"Consolation?" she hissed, "What am I supposed to do with that? You're the only reason I-" she stopped herself. Charles widened his eyes. He was about to ask her to continue, but she snatched her backpack off the ground and began walking away from him. He grasped her hand.

"I'm not going anywhere until I get to see you off on your journey in three days. Just stay here with me. Let's enjoy the time we have left, okay?" Charles pleaded.

She yanked her hand away from him yet again and whistled for her pokemon. Sylveon's ears perked up at its master's call, and she sounded a goodbye to Espeon as she followed her trainer. Espeon watched sadly as Moxy's and Sylveon's silhouettes faded in the distance.

Charles rubbed his left knuckles with his right hand, and Espeon came to his side. She could sense Charles's distress, and Espeon nudged her nose on his knee. Charles scratched behind her ear in return.

"What do I do now?"

* * *

Her footsteps pounded on the empty sidewalk as she made her way downtown. Sylveon reached one of her feelers towards Moxy's hand.

"I need to be focused," she said, waving the feeler away. Sylveon's ears drooped.

Moxy had a plan. It was risky and dumb, but as of this moment, she didn't know what else to do. She needed to talk with Walter. Give him a piece of her mind. Make him see that Charles staying to go on a journey was more helpful to his growth than riding out another year of school in a different region. To tell him the truth Charles was too afraid to say.

The duo passed by the pokemon center again, and Sylveon's ears rose when a whistle pierced the air behind them. They turned around to see a familiar, green-haired girl with her hands on her hips and that smarmy grin on her face.

"Where are you going, small fry?" Janice sneered.

"Fuck off," Moxy replied.

"Aww," Janice saw the red in Moxy's eyes, "Were you crying? Didn't know you were such a little crybaby Moxy,"

"What the hell do you want?" Moxy asked through gritted teeth.

Janice pulled out a red and white ball from her pocket and threw it up in the air. A dazzling light filled the sky, and a purple and yellow, cat-like pokemon coalesced, landing gracefully as it touched the hard ground.

"A battle. Right here. Right now," Janice said. Her Liepard wore the same wicked smile as her master. Sylveon took a battle-ready stance as she faced Liepard. She made worried glances at Moxy, wondering if they had to battle on the sidewalk.

"Are you crazy? We can't battle in the middle of the street. Besides, I don't have time for this," Moxy said, turning away from Janice. Sylveon sighed in relief. She cracked a smirk at Liepard before joining Moxy.

"Aww, you scared?" Janice taunted. Unfortunately for her, the comment flew right over Moxy's head. Janice's right eye twitched, and she cupped her hands around her mouth before spitting out one final remark.

"Fine then! Runaway to your mother, crybaby! Oh wait, you don't have one, do you!?"

Moxy stopped dead in her tracks. Janice's mouth curled triumphantly. Sylveon looked to Moxy with widened eyes. One of her feelers snaked around Moxy's hand, but the teen smacked it away and whirled on her rival.

"You want a battle, then let's battle!" she screamed, gesturing her pokemon in front of her. Sylveon shot a glare at Moxy before outspreading all four of her feelers in a wide pattern as she faced the purple feline. Liepard licked her paws, not paying any attention to her opponents ill-attempt at intimidating her.

"I'll let you have the first move," Janice called out, her sneer larger than ever.

"Echoed Voice!" Moxy yelled without hesitation. Sylveon took a large breath, but Liepard was already on her feet as she dashed towards the pink pokemon, not a single word from her trainer. She moved at a terrifying speed, and it took less than a second for the purple cat to reach Sylveon. Liepard clapped both of its paws in between Sylveon's head, disorienting her. Sylveon yelped, surprised by the Fake Out Liepard had dealt her. Sylveon hurried to get her bearings once more, but Liepard had already vanished and was nowhere to be seen. Moxy's eyes darted around as she frantically searched for the deceptive pokemon.

'_Really? Hide and seek?_' Moxy fumed in her mind. In the corner of her eye, she saw a dark silhouette above the pokemon center.

"Above the pokemon center! Aim and use Echoed Voice!" Sylveon's head twirled to where her trainer was pointing, and she inhaled another gust of air. The dark figure descended upon Sylveon swiftly and scratched her across the face. An angered Sylveon shouted anyways, filling the air with a booming cry. Liepard ducked, the pink soundwave barely grazing her tail.

A bystander on the other side of the street jumped at the noise and backed away from the fight breaking out on the sidewalk. With a shuddering hand, he pushed three buttons on his phone and held it up to his ears.

"_Cruciatus_!" Janice called out. Liepard flipped backward into the air, kicking Sylveon under the chin at the same time. As it landed, Liepard cackled. Her sickle-like tail drew something into the sidewalk, but Moxy didn't recognize it. Sylveon's ears perked up, and a whisper of a meow escaped Liepard's lips. But it wasn't a meow. It was more like a chant. Moxy didn't understand what Janice ordered Liepard to do. It had been a while since they had a battle, and it looked like Janice finally had a strategy of some sort. Sylveon reared her ears as she barked back a retort, and she started to shake. Purplish wisps of energy arose from the pokemon's head like steam.

"Ignore her and use Echoed Voice! Liepard is just standing there!" Moxy yelled to her pokemon, her fist clenched. However, Sylveon turned towards her trainer, a confused look on the pokemon's face.

Moxy bit her lip, '_Looks like she's being affected by a Torment,_'

"_Tere clavus_!" Janice called out before Moxy had a chance to give her pokemon a different order. Liepard proceeded to sharpen her claws against each other, as well as beating her tail across the concrete floor.

"Use Quick Attack!" Moxy ordered. Sylveon's body enveloped in pink energy as she dashed towards Liepard. She struck Liepard with a headbutt, causing the cat to tumble backward.

"Give it up, Janice! Your dark type is no match for my fairy type!" Moxy yelled, her head boiling with anger, "Follow up with Echoed Voice!"

Sylveon breathed in a gust of air. Liepard lay on the sidewalk unmoving after being hit by the Pixelated Quick Attack, and Sylveon used this opportunity to unleash the soundwave directly at her foe.

"_Ferrum_!" Janice yelled sharply. Suddenly, Liepard bounced into the air with blinding speed, dodging the soundwave. Her sickle-like tail gleamed white under the setting sun. Sylveon stared in horror as Liepard's hardened tail grew closer, much like an executioner's axe. Before the Iron Tail could collide with Sylveon, a red light enveloped the pink pokemon, and she was recalled into her ball. The move crashed into the pavement, crushing the concrete with its power.

Moxy was sweating profusely as she held Sylveon's pokeball tightly. Liepard walked over to her trainer, purring as her trainer petted her.

"You were saying?" Janice taunted, her hand resting on an elevated hip.

Moxy's world slowed down around her, '_I… lost… to Janice?_' she thought in disbelief.

Suddenly, a siren blared close by. Moxy gritted her teeth, but she knew she couldn't stay. Trainers' weren't allowed to have battles outside the safe zones of an arena. Janice was two steps ahead of her, as the girl and her purple feline were already making a break for it.

Moxy ran into an alleyway opposite of the pokemon center. She kept running until the sounds of the sirens were far behind her. As soon as the coast was clear, she kicked a random can on the floor, her mind searing with anger.

She should have just left, but Janice baited her. She was too angry to fight, and there were unforeseen consequences for playing aggressively. The way she treated her pokemon was unforgivable, too. But she couldn't think about that now. She needed to help her best friend. Moxy shoved her hands in her pockets and walked towards Charles' house, disappearing into the darkness of the alley.

* * *

Beyond an arched, steel gateway, the Lockwood Mansion could be seen. It was about three stories high, and the building was made of cobblestone, unlike the sandstone buildings that littered Rustboro. The sun had already set, but the sky was still a dark shade of blue. An ominous, large cloud could be seen in the distance. Moxy pressed a button on an intercom next to the gate.

"Who is this?" the voice of an elderly man said through the intercom.

"Its Moxy. Can I come in?"

"Ah, miss Moxy. Young Charles hasn't arrived home yet. Shall I leave him a message from you when he gets back?"

"No, I was just with him. I actually came to talk to Mr. Lockwood. Is he there?"

"Erm, yes. Please come in. I shall notify him of your arrival."

The gate opened automatically, and Moxy let herself in. After a short walk through the estate, she ascended the few steps that led to the front of the house. There was a loud click from the latch of the lock, and the door creaked open. A man wearing a black tuxedo stood behind the door, and he shook Moxy's hand before leading her inside. Her footsteps echoed against the white, marble floor. Regal paintings of kings and queens lined the white walls, their arrogant gazes piercing through Moxy as if they were scorning her. Up ahead, a large staircase led to a second floor, and the base of both sides of its railing was adorned with gold busts of a Bisharp. The ceiling rose high above, where a grand, glass chandelier cast a net of florescent light upon the girl.

"Wait right here, miss," the butler said, gesturing her into a large opening off the side of the lobby. It led into the living room, which looked almost the same as the lobby except for the white, elegant couches and tables in the middle of the room. The large TV mounted on the side of the wall was switched to the Hoenn News Network, where a lady was talking about some odd weather patterns in the sky. The crackling of the fireplace beneath that made the room feel homey. Moxy walked over to a couch, put her backpack on the floor, and sat down.

A minute later, Moxy made out large footsteps going down the staircase. A burly, six-foot-three tanned man entered the living room. His hairy, puffed-out chest could be seen under his thick, black robe. He shared many of the same facial features Charles had, but the man's blue eyes were baggy and darker. On the bridge of his nose lay an old, horizontal gash. His bronze hair surged behind him in a wild way, and he scratched his bushy beard as he entered the living room.

Moxy began to get up to greet him, but the man gestured her to stay seated as he made his way to a couch opposite to hers.

"Walter," Moxy greeted.

"Where's my boy?" he asked in his thick, northern accent, much like Charles but deep and rough. There was a hint of accusation in his voice as if she had done something to his son.

"We went our separate ways about an hour ago," she responded, "But, I came here to talk to you, sir."

"So I've heard. You aren't angry about the police showing up at your school, are you?"

Moxy's forehead strained as she responded once again, "No, I'm sure you had a good reason for embarrassing me in the middle of class."

Walter simply nodded, taking the TV remote off the table and powering down the television, "Well? Out with it. I'm quite busy."

"It's about Charles going to Unova-"

He interrupted the girl, "If you're going to try to change my mind, you are wasting your time."

"Why can't he just go to the academy right here in Hoenn? It's the same thing,"

Walter got comfortable on the couch, "Unova is his home region. He will learn with the same people who taught Elliot, me, my father, and his father before him. I won't change tradition simply to suit your whims,"

Moxy gulped in response to his accusatory statements. But she didn't come all this way just to be shot down.

"He's eighteen," she started, "He's an adult, by law. He can make his own decisions,"

Walter crossed his arms, "He's no adult under the laws of this roof. He's still a boy. My boy,"

"That means he doesn't get to choose if he wants to go or not then, right? Do you know how ridiculous that is? Every trainer with a license goes on a journey. He's had his license for like three months now and you still haven't let him go on a journey. He trains and studies all day, but he can learn so much more actually exploring the world,"

"He isn't 'every trainer'. And its that mindset that will get him killed, or worse. You aren't a cop. You don't know what it's like to find bodies out in the wilderness after 'every trainer' got reckless trying to catch some mythical, dangerous creature they heard a whisper about. No. He will train at the academy. He will be ready. Then he will go. And your tenacity over this matter will not bend me."

Moxy narrowed her eyes, "Was Elliot ready when he ran a full circle around Unova trying to stop Ghetsis?"

Walter returned the same gesture, his eyes far more intimidating than Moxy's, "Yes. He'd done his time at the academy. And, like his ancestors before him, he defended his region from that psychopath. He wasn't deluded by dreams of grandeur. I'm thinking of the future."

"So that's what Charles' life is going to end up like. To lay down his life for a chunk of land? Did you even ask him if he wants to do that? No, you didn't, because I know what he really wants to do." Moxy complained. Every word out of her mouth seemed to make Walter grow more irritated. But she wanted him to be irritated. He had no right to force his son to do something he never wanted.

"He wants to go on a journey," she stressed, "He wants to explore everything Hoenn has to offer, and he wants to give the Championship a shot because he could have that potential. He doesn't want to be drafted into the league to fight their wars. He doesn't want to go back into that warzone. Don't you want what's best for him?"

"Stop lying," Walter snarled, leaning forward, "the only reason you're here arguing on his behalf is that you want him to go with you. Don't think I don't do my homework. I know you don't have a passport to leave. I know he's your only friend. You should be more grateful for that cur Elliot gave you,"

"What the hell did you call Sylveon?!" Moxy's voice cracked as she jumped from her seat. Walter followed suit.

"Don't you yell at me. There isn't a single, goddamn thing on this planet I wouldn't do for my son. After that fire six years ago, I could see right through you. You're full of anger. Hate. Grudges. Charles doesn't need that in his life,"

Moxy tensed. A wave of nausea hit her when he said 'fire'.

"I've m-moved past that. I'm different now," she protested. Walter picked up a fire poker. Moxy's took a step back, for she thought he would do something to her with that. However, he moved towards the fireplace, and the crackling fire grew louder as he stoked it.

"One thing you'll learn in life is that people never change," he said grimly, the embers reflecting against his blue eyes. Moxy was about to retort, but he continued, "I won't ever forget what happened that day. Nicole called the station about a fire. I was worried about what your death would do to my son. I got you, Nicole, and all the other orphans out of there. And then the evidence showed the fire originated from papers set alight next to the curtains in the living room. One of the orphans said they saw you walk downstairs holding a couple of books. I looked into your eyes, and I saw regret. Regret that the job wasn't finished."

Moxy shuddered, "Please, stop talking about that,"

Walter turned his head slightly toward her, "You still think she did it, right? Killed her own sister? She's strict for sure, but she isn't evil. Be grateful the judge only gave you six months. Second-degree arson warrants at least two years. Be even more grateful your permit wasn't taken away. Or your pokemon."

A lump formed in Moxy's throat, "It was an accident. I've changed! I swear! I would never hurt anyone, not even Charles,"

"I'm not convinced. Why do you think I sent police to the school? I know about your midnight hobby," Walter faced Moxy, planting the fire iron on the marble floor like it was a cane.

"W...what are you talking about," she stammered, holding her arm up defensively.

"Lying again!" he yelled, eliciting a startle from Moxy, "You would come in here and accuse me of ruining my son's life, only to not acknowledge the crimes ruining yours? Unacceptable! Over my dead body will Charles ever go on a journey with you! What you are guilty of is manipulating and twisting the truth to fit your needs. That goes against everything my ancestors believed in! Everything I believe in!"

Tears welled in Moxy's eyes, and her mind was brewing with a concoction of rage, fear, and regret. Enough to jumble her thoughts.

Walter's expression darkened further, "Dahlia would be ashamed, as would your actual parents if they were here."

"That isn't true! Stop it!" she yelled, her voice wobbly as she covered her ears. Her heart ached at hearing Dahlia's name.

"I will stop. In fact, I never want to see your face here again. I may not have much evidence of your petty thievery, but so be it. I would take solace in the fact that you are out of our lives for the next year. Do what you please. Go on a journey. Keep stealing. I couldn't care less. The next time I have a conversation with you will surely be inside an interrogation room. And if you think about telling Charles any of this, I'll do everything in my power to get your license taken away. Even if I have to abuse my title and reputation."

He pointed to the door, "Now get out,"

It was over. There was no getting through to Walter, and talking with him only brought back bad memories. She wanted to scream at Walter with all her might, but what he was saying was true. All the community service, training to honor Dahlia's memory, and time wouldn't make up for what she tried to do. But she had endured so much from Ms. Pennington. Letting go wouldn't do her justice. If it ever came to that point again, she didn't know if she would stop herself. The truth was that her soul was being tugged at by two ideals. Vengeance or giving up. And either option would end badly for her.

Moxy's gaze faltered in defeat as she picked up her belongings and exited the living room. At the turn, the butler was at the front door waiting for her.

"Shall I drive you back to the orphanage, miss?" he asked politely, a grave look on his face. Moxy silently shook her head, and the butler nodded in response.

As the gate closed behind her, her legs became heavy. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and Moxy felt a droplet of water hit her scarlet hair. A few seconds later the boom of a thunderstorm echoed throughout and it began to rain. Her clothes were soaking, but that didn't bother her as much as her torn heart. She dropped her bag and slumped against the gate. She couldn't tell if the water running down her cheeks was from the rain or her salty tears.

Suddenly, her backpack began to shake violently. Moxy immediately zipped it open, a surprised look on her face. A flash of multi-colored light shot out from her bag, and Sylveon sprung out, skidding across the sidewalk.

"Damn, I forgot to unprime the ball. Didn't I tell you not to come out by your…" Moxy trailed off half-heartedly. She didn't have the energy or will for anything. Sylveon took one look at Moxy and immediately ran for her trainer. She let out a soft cry before wrapping her feelers around Moxy's body.

Moxy let it all out. She sobbed while holding on to Sylveon as if her life depended on it. Ryker was right, and she was doomed. Her life was heading in one direction, and it wasn't good. She could go on a journey. But the sole reason she wanted to do so was leaving for Unova in three days.

Sylveon trilled softly, tightening her squeeze to comfort the girl.

"I don't know what to do, Sylvie," she sniveled. Sylveon gave Moxy a warm smile, and she wrapped another feeler around one of Moxy's fingers.

A wave of serenity washed over Moxy. Her thoughts were no longer in disarray, but she still had no idea what her next course of action should be. One thought echoed in her mind, and she pulled a watch out of her backpack. The shorthand pointed to eight, and the tallest building in Rustboro was about an hour away. With Sylveon by her side, they slogged through the rain.

* * *

Another boom of thunder echoed throughout the city. Moxy stood in front of the gateway into the Devon Corporation's forecourt in the dead of night, and she was still grasping on Sylveon's feeler as they waited. She had to squint her eyes to see the shorthand of her water-speckled timepiece. It pointed towards nine now.

Moxy hardly ever went to the north city. The glass skyscrapers towering around her mirrored the world around them, and the wide streets were empty in the miserable weather. Woopers and Zigzagoon ran into alleys at the booms of thunder, and Pidoves sheltered themselves under canopies and scaffoldings.

None of the large buildings, however, could hold a dime against the Devon Corporation. It had a unique, spiral design, and Rotom drones hovered around the apex of the great skyscraper. Most likely protecting the building from any intruders coming from the sky, as it was one of the most reputable technology industries in Hoenn.

The lobby of the building cast a brilliant, white light on Moxy. Apparently, people were still inside at this hour, which goes to show how hard the employees worked to produce amazing products for the public. She and Sylveon walked over to a wooden bench along the tiled, straight walkway in the forecourt. Moxy's legs ached from walking, and the wet bench was a godsend in its own, uncomfortable way. The rain pelted Moxy without pause until she could see nothing through her sopping hair and dripping eyelashes.

A minute passed. Then five more as Moxy waited. Sylveon silently endured the rain, but she shivered when the cold wind brushed her wet fur. She inched closer to her trainer, and Moxy put her arm around her pokemon. It was uncomfortable for a second, but Sylveon's body warmed Moxy up.

"I'm sorry Sylvie. I let you down," Moxy apologized, "I wish I could take back everything I did after Dahlia died. If it meant I could go on a journey with my best friend, I'd do it in a heartbeat," Sylveon stared at her trainer, sadness behind her big eyes.

"Now it's my fault you won't be able to see Espeon either," she added. Sylveon made a soft, miserable cry, and Moxy's heart sank. She laid her head against Sylveon's shoulder, doing her best to calm her down.

"I don't know what the future will hold. But from here on out, it'll just be you and me, Sylvie," Moxy finished. Lightning flashed in the distance, and the two sat in silence. Another ten minutes had passed, and Moxy had enough.

'_I guess it wasn't worth it after all,_' she thought, getting up from the bench. The rain had stopped hitting her at that moment. Moxy looked up and noticed an umbrella above her head.

"What are you doing out here?! It's pouring!" A man holding the umbrella yelled through the loud rain. Despite his yell, his voice was cool, calm, and collected. He was about six feet tall, and he was wearing a black suit under his long, black trench coat.

Moxy pulled her flopping hair behind her ears to look at him as she responded, "I was waiting for someone, but they were a no show."

Moxy noted some of the man's facial features. His most evident was his unusually long ears, but they complemented his thin and long face. His small eyes gleamed like rough emeralds and his hair was so dark Moxy couldn't see the top of his head under the black umbrella.

"Out here in the rain? You must really like this person to go through all this trouble for them,"

Moxy's pale face heated up, and she hid her embarrassment behind her hand, "No, its nothing like that!"

He let out a small chuckle, almost inaudible in the pounding rain, before speaking up, "Just a little joke. I could lead you to a shelter until the rain passes if you'd like," the man gestured Moxy to follow him, but she stayed where she was seated. Sylveon tightened her grip on Moxy's hand, and she seemed to be pulling her back.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "I don't bite, I promise," he added another chuckle for good measure.

She was much more comfortable under the shade of the umbrella than under the rain. After a few seconds, the girl sighed as she walked out of the forecourt and back onto the sidewalk, the man holding the umbrella between them. Sylveon stayed close behind in the rain, looking vigilantly at the stranger through her wet tuft of hair.

"Something bothering you? You looked sad back there," his words melted seamlessly together like honey, and there was a lot of concern behind it. Genuine or not, she couldn't tell.

Moxy's gaze faltered, "Well… I'm going on a journey soon."

"A pokemon journey? Isn't that something to be excited for?"

"Yeah. But I'll be going alone. My best friend can't come with me."

"Why not?" he asked, pressing her. Moxy was hesitant in answering.

"Never mind," he apologized, "But maybe it's for the best. Some journeys are meant to be taken alone."

Moxy nodded in agreement. The two reached a park, where they saw a large gazebo in the middle. There was a single, fluorescent lightbulb hanging in the middle.

"There. That should be good enough," The man said, pointing at the gazebo. Sylveon ran ahead of them, eager to get out of the heavy rain. When she was safe, she ruffled her fur, scattering water all over the place. Thunder boomed again as Moxy and the man entered the shelter. The man put away his umbrella, and Moxy noticed his unkempt hairstyle, like dark icicles protruding downwards from his head.

The man looked out into the rain, and Moxy remembered her manners, "Um… thank you."

"Before I go, I have a question for you," he started randomly, leaning his back against one of the pillars of the gazebo.

Moxy tilted her head, "Um, sure go for it,"

"Have you ever wished the world could be a better place?"

Moxy cringed. The question was even more random, but she decided to play along. He did make an effort to walk her here after all, "A better place? For me or you? Everyone has a different opinion on world views."

"Not for me, or you, but for mankind itself. Do you think mankind is logically satisfied with where it is?"

"Where... is this coming from exactly?" she asked. This person couldn't be more mysterious.

"Oh. I work at Devon. I like to make time to hear the ideologies people have about the world," he explained. Moxy was a little satisfied with his answer, but she wanted to be careful about what she said to him.

"How about you tell me what you think first, so I get a better idea."

The man smirked, "Discreet about your dispositions. In my opinion, the world is slowly dying. We've reached an age where mankind no longer wants to strive forward. Too content with where we are and allowing nature to take more steps into destroying us."

Moxy laughed dryly, "If you work as a comedian part-time, then you're really nailing the comedic relief here. Nature destroying us? That's crazy talk."

"Could be," the man said, his smirk unchanged, "But look around you. At the rain."

As he finished that sentence, Moxy's senses were heightened. The damp scent of the water, the deafening rain beating the ground without pause, the whistling wind coursing through her soggy hair, and the size of each raindrop as the storm grew stronger than ever. Just thinking about it made her feel small to such a primordial force.

"Do you know what happens when it rains for a long time? Floods. What about when the ocean rages? Storms and hurricanes. We will always be in an ever-constant battle with nature. We need to evolve in order to defeat it."

"So that's your latest project at Devon? To stop the rain?" she said sarcastically, "Aren't their pokemon that can already control weather?"

"No. Pokemon can only control a small portion of an area for a limited amount of time. Even that takes a lot of strain. And it isn't just the weather. Every year, the water level rises by an inch from rain and melting glaciers. That's a year closer to the end of the world."

Now it just sounded like he was pitching some kind of crazy cult belief on her, "Well even if you could change it, should you? Changing the way the world works has to have consequences."

"A small price to pay for humanity's future."

His answer was disconcerting to her, and it seemed like his mind was completely made up about the topic, "Yeah, whatever you say. Fighting the rules of nature is like dueling a Haxorus with nothing but a stick. It's impossible."

"That's where you're wrong, Moxy," The man said, his eyes narrowed. Danger rang inside of Moxy's head, and she instantly whistled for her pokemon. Sylveon jumped in front of her, her tiny fangs barred at the mysterious man.

"How the hell do you know my name?" she demanded, planting a foot on the ceramic floor. The man put his hands up casually.

"Calm down, I wanted to make sure you weren't tricking me. You did come out of the police captain's home before going to Devon, after all."

"Yeah, his son is my best friend, and I'm an ace trainer. If you don't answer me, I'll have my pokemon rip your throat out. So don't take another step like your life depends on it!" she threatened. Sylveon acknowledged her trainer with a sharp bark.

"Ryker was right when he said you had a little anger temperament," he answered, a smirk growing on his face, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm only here to help you. Because together, we can change the world."

"Wait," Moxy started in disbelief, "You were being serious about that thing with mankind and nature?"

"It's serious all right. We wouldn't go through all this trouble for no reason."

"We? As in you and Ryker? Who are you?"

"My name is Aiden, and I work for an organization whose goal is... well I gave you a little idea. But we are ambitious. And if you want, you could be a part of that."

"What is your organization? Stop messing around."

"Can't say. Not yet anyway."

"What is it with all the cloak and dagger?" Moxy exasperated, "Fine, what can you tell me?"

"That if you help us, we'll help you. I know you're an orphan. Your parents gave you away at birth. Lucky for you, the headmistress took you under her wing. She spoiled and taught you until you were thirteen before she was killed in a hit-and-run next to a league official. She wasn't the target; the official was. Once Nicole took over, she made you and every orphan there miserable. She beat you for trying to escape, and then you set the orphanage on fire with a couple of kids and Nicole inside. You went to prison. And now nobody will even bat an eye at you. So you steal and rob because it makes you feel better."

Moxy lowered her eyebrows, "How do you know so much about me?"

"Ryker filled me in," he responded plainly, and Moxy mentally facepalmed herself. Aiden continued, "But you and I are alike. I was an orphan too. In Lilycove. And now I'm offering you what you've been searching for your whole life."

"And... what would that be?" Moxy asked.

"A true home," Aiden stressed compassionately, "A purpose. A place where you can fit in, and a place where nobody will reject you ever again."

Moxy was silent. Sylveon grew impatient, but she didn't dare move without her trainers' command.

Aiden continued, "I won't force you. You can contact me on this phone. But don't take too long. My offer ends at sunrise,"

Aiden reached for his pocket, but Sylveon's bark brought his attention. He gazed at the pokemon, whose ears were flattened against her head.

"You have a protective partner," he added, a hint of admiration in his eyes. He pulled out a gray flip phone, "Keep her close to you."

Moxy barely caught the phone when he tossed it to her. Aiden opened his umbrella again and walked into the rain. Sylveon was about to go after him, but Moxy snapped her finger.

"We're okay now, Sylvie," She comforted her pokemon as they watched Aiden disappear into the fog surrounding them.

Moxy looked at the phone in her hand, unsure of how to process everything Aiden had told her. It sounded like something she should run far away from, but at the same time, she had nowhere to run to. It was her against the world, and as much as she denied it, her goal is insurmountable. Especially without Charles by her side. She stared down at Sylveon, whose gaze was still following Aiden through the hammering rain. Moxy ruffled the hair between Sylveon's ears, and the pokemon licked Moxy's hand in return.

What would she do if her pokemon went hungry? Would she steal and risk everything as she has always done, or would she starve herself to make sure her pokemon would be fed? However, she had an opportunity now. People who wanted her, supposedly. And according to Aiden, she wouldn't have to worry about a thing. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to give this a shot.

'_No, _'Moxy shook her head.

As much as it pained her, the most honorable way through was to struggle. She couldn't give up on her dreams just yet. If she could win tournaments, she might be able to make enough money to make a living. She could maybe get a part-time job with someone who didn't care about six-year-old records. She wouldn't steep low. She didn't need help from anyone. Once she was free of that orphanage, she was a woman capable of anything she put her mind to.

"The orphanage!" Moxy's heart skipped, too enraptured with her sadness to think of something as mundane as the orphanage. Moxy dreaded what punishment awaited her once she arrived as she and Sylveon bounded for the streets, disappearing into the darkness of the rain.

* * *

Moxy checked her watch again, almost tripping on the wet sidewalk as she ran. The shorthand pointed towards eleven, and her legs grew heavy when the brick, three-story building came into view. Thankfully it had stopped raining, and the yellow lampposts of Rustboro shone brightly under the moon as the girl hurried past them. Once Moxy reached the steps, she turned around to see her pokemon still catching up to her. Once Sylveon finally made it to her, the pink pokemon was breathless.

"Sorry, Sylvie. Going to have to ball you up, okay? I'll let you out once I get things sorted with Penny," Moxy said in a soothing voice as she pulled out Sylveon's pokeball from her soaking backpack. Sylveon was reluctant, but after a warm smile from Moxy, the pokemon pressed her nose against the red ball and went inside it.

Moxy put away the ball and took a deep breath, _'wish me luck,'_ she thought to herself as she walked up the steps leading to the orphanage.

All the lights in the building were off as Moxy entered.

"...For all you listeners tuned in this late at night, the clouds have passed over Mauville and are heading north, towards Foretree. Anyone there right now is recommended to get indoors..." a male, persuasive voice spoke on the radio in the lobby.

She slowly closed the door behind her and began to tiptoe up the staircase as fast as she could. Near the middle of the steps, the lights inside quickly switched open.

'_Shit,_' Moxy turned to look downstairs, where Ms. Pennington stomped into the lobby. She had an angry contortion on her face, and Moxy's mouth turned dry.

"Do you have any idea how long I waited for you to show up!?" the headmistress shouted, her voice ringing in Moxy's ears.

"I- I'm sorry, ma'am. I was training, and I hadn't realized it was so la-"

"Do you think me daft, you scoundrel?" Ms. Pennington interrupted, "The police showed up here shortly after you left. Asking me questions about some robbery and perusing all over the bloody place. And now you come here at almost midnight. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were out pilfering as per usual. But it ends now."

"Please, ma'am, I didn't realize the time…"

"Get. Down. Here. Right. Now," the woman said slowly, but Moxy was frozen on the spot.

"NOW!" the headmistresses yelled, her nose flared. Moxy instantly hurried down the steps. Moxy stood politely in front of her headmistress, her eyes unable to meet the woman's condemning gaze.

"Hands behind your back," Ms. Pennington said, raising a hand. Moxy's hands stayed hovering around her waist timidly, which was an instant mistake.

Within a second, Moxy's world turned red. Ms. Pennington had slapped her across the face, and Moxy collapsed to the floor. Pain welled from the red mark on her cheek. She hid her head in her arms, fearful of Ms. Pennington hitting her again.

"Upstairs to your room. You're grounded until you leave. You will be back here at three-thirty sharp. There will be no training, no going out, and no playing whatsoever. Every chore in this house will be done or that smack will be the least of your worries," Ms. Pennington threatened. Moxy was in tears again, and she muddled around on the floor.

"I SAID UPSTAIRS NOW!" Ms. Pennington screeched as she pulled Moxy by her red hair, eliciting a scream from the girl as she was forced to stand. She then shoved Moxy towards the staircase. Moxy broke her stumbling with the staircase handle and her sobs grew louder.

A little jingle played in the living room where the radio was.

"...This just in. Not too long ago, the missing ruby from the Rustboro Museum was recently discovered by the police, our sources say..." the same man on the radio said, the sound a little louder than before.

Ms. Pennington was still watching Moxy shamble up the stairs.

"...The thief responsible for this robbery has been identified. According to our sources, the Hoenn Law Enforcement officers are en route right now to take the thief in..."

Moxy quieted her sobs. She slowed her ascent about halfway up the stairs, listening intently to the radio.

"...The suspect is..."

Ms. Pennington frowned at Moxy's dwindling movement, "What the hell are you doi-"

"...Moxy Pennington..."

The girl in question froze. Ms. Pennington turned her gaze towards the living room, her face growing more shocked as the radioman spoke.

"...a camera caught them running from the scene of the crime just yesterday. The police recovered the stolen gem in a dumpster outside the Rustboro Training Academy, the same school Pennington studies in..."

If things were bad, they were ten times worse now. Moxy instantly regretted going out that night. But this was wrong. Her heart thumped rapidly when Ms. Pennington's turned her glare back on Moxy. Instinct and fear took over, and Moxy ran to the top of the staircase.

"You stinking, no-good rat!" Ms. Pennington stomped after her. Moxy ran down to the end of the hallway, where her room was. Ms. Pennington was on her heels. The old coot was faster than she looked. Moxy ran inside and slammed the door shut. The entire room shook when Ms. Pennington crashed into the door. Moxy twisted the doorknob lock as fast as she could.

"Open this door right now, Moxy!" her headmistress screamed through the walls, the door rattling with every pummel of her fist.

"I swear I didn't steal that ruby! Please you have to believe me!" Moxy's pleaded, her voice breaking.

"I'll never believe a single word out of that slimy mouth of yours! Open! This! Door!" The door thumped violently with every word.

Moxy backpedaled slowly and sat on her bed. Why was this happening to her? The day went from horrible to straight out of a nightmare. First with Janice, then Walter, and now this? Thinking about it now, she had no one to blame but herself. She let anger control her with Janice. She let it control her with Walter. And now it was all falling apart before her eyes.

M. Pennington growled loudly, and the door was whammed again. This time, something cracked within it. Moxy's eyes widened. She zipped open her bag and rummaged through the disorganized notebooks and pens to find Sylveon's pokeball.

Wood chips exploded from the broken lock as the door swung wide open. Ms. Pennington's face was puffed up and red, and her breath came out in wheezes. The headmistress advanced on Moxy, but she finally felt the cold aluminum of Sylveon's ball. Moxy bounced to the far end of her bed and raised the pokeball at her headmistress. The woman stopped dead in her tracks.

"Put that down!" she demanded through her yellow-tainted teeth.

"You have to believe me, Nicole. I didn't steal that ruby," she blubbered, the pokeball rattling in her fingers, "Someone's framing me,"

A realization festered in Moxy's mind, "I-It's Walter! That's why I came home late! I was speaking to him, a-and he threatened me!"

Moxy bit her lip, realizing how ridiculous it must have sounded to Ms. Pennington. It was confirmed when Ms. Pennington shook her head.

"I've had enough of these idiotic excuses, Moxy. You will come downstairs with me and wait for the police. I won't hurt you," Ms. Pennington held her hand out, but the anger in her voice made Moxy doubt her promise. The headmistress took a cautious step forward, and Moxy instinctively clicked the button to prime Sylveon's pokeball.

A flash of multicolored light erupted in the small room. As soon as it was gone, Sylveon was standing between Moxy and Ms. Pennington. She looked around confused. She saw the broken door, Ms. Pennington's angered expression, and Moxy's feeble form. The headmistress tried to take another step, but the girl snapped her fingers and pointed at Ms. Pennington. Sylveon arched her spine and a growl emanated from her throat.

"What good will come out of any of this?" Ms. Pennington held up her hands in defense, but her voice still held a hostile tone.

"Please, just let me go. I know you hate me being here. I'll run away and never come back. I'll be out of your life. Just don't give me to the police,"

Ms. Pennington glared at her, "Not a bloody chance. Either you come with me and give yourself up willingly or the police will take you in by force. I won't let you get away with your crime!"

Moxy's legs became numb. She couldn't go back. If juvie was a nightmare, what would prison be like? She wasn't eighteen yet, but the judge wouldn't care. According to what Ryker said, she stole a ruby from the king or queen of Unova. She couldn't remember if the region was governed by a monarchy, but it was beside the point. Moxy took a good look at the room around her. She should just give up. Go to prison, get out, and resume her life.

But Sylveon was still standing protectively in front of Moxy. She couldn't bear leaving Sylveon again. She had Charles before, but now? Sylveon wouldn't have anyone to protect her. All of her promises to her pokemon's future would be for naught.

And the funniest part was that she wasn't even to blame for this. It was a damn coincidence, and it infuriated her to no end. The universe might be punishing her, but she wouldn't roll over and give up.

'_I won't go back,_' she thought, her fearful look turned resolved.

Ms. Pennington caught on to her expression, "Moxy. Don't do this,"

"Sylveon," Moxy started, her lips quivering as she covered her ears. Ms. Pennington took a step back. Without hesitation or command, Sylveon let loose a deafening cry that blasted the headmistress backward through the doorway. The discharge of sound was so great as it tore through Ms. Pennington that even the crusty wallpaper was shredded by the soundwave. Moxy winced from an audible crack as the big brute of a lady landed in the hallway. She lied on the floor, unmoving.

Moxy was wide-eyed as she scampered towards the woman. She kneeled to Ms. Pennington's side and put a finger on the side of her neck, hoping to Arceus she wasn't dead.

Fortunately for her, Ms. Pennington still had a pulse, but blood dripped from her ears. Moxy wiped her sweating brows and looked at Sylveon. The pokemon stayed far away from Ms. Pennington, a horrified look on her face.

"Don't worry, she's only unconscious," Moxy consoled, "But we have to go. Right now."

The soundwave probably woke up everyone in a half-mile radius, and the police were probably close to her house by now. The girl ran to her room and uprighted her backpack. All of its contents had spilled onto the floor when she took out Sylveon's ball. She wasted no time kneeling and shoving everything back inside. Sylveon walked up to Moxy and placed her paw on her trainers' leg, purring in question. Moxy just glanced at Sylveon before returning to her work.

"The police are on their way Sylveon! We have to hurry! Help me, c'mon!"

Sylveon kept gazing at Moxy, her ears drooped. The girl noticed she wasn't helping, and when she looked at Sylveon, she saw tears in her blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry I put you through that," Moxy consoled as she tried her best not to break down in tears herself, "I couldn't abandon you again. You're my only friend now. If something were to happen to you… I don't know what I would do."

Moxy tried to stroke under Sylveon's chin, but the pink pokemon turned away, returning to her sorrow. It couldn't be helped, she guessed. Moxy reached down to grab more of her stuff, and she saw the phone Aiden had given her. As she picked it up, it burned in the palm of her hand, and she considered calling. She threw it inside her bag along with everything else. After she had put everything away, she put on a dry, black hoodie from her wardrobe before leaving the room.

Ms. Pennington was still unconscious in the middle of the hallway. Something ticked in Moxy's head upon staring down the headmistress's vulnerable state. And she smirked. Sylveon tilted her head as a chuckle arose from Moxy.

Moxy could cover her mole-riddled face with a pillow. Suffocate her. Maybe she would beat her head in until the blood on her knuckles turned dry. Maybe she should, after everything that vile woman put her through.

Moxy tightened her balled fist. There was no time. She stepped over the headmistress's body and hurried down the spiral staircase as fast as possible, Sylveon hot on her heels.

Moxy opened the door to the orphanage. For some odd reason, she felt pleasure in doing so. And she knew why.

She was free.

* * *

Moxy hurried out of the brick building. The lampposts reflected their light off the wet surface of the sidewalk, and the moon was hidden behind the large clouds in the sky, darkening Rustboro. She pulled her hoodie over her head and checked the time. It was eleven fifteen. She could have sworn everything that happened inside felt like hours had passed. It was still strange, however. The police should be here already. Their response time was normally around ten minutes without traffic.

The sounds of a siren in the far distance jolted her legs into moving faster. Sylveon followed close behind her. Moxy considered recalling Sylveon, but she didn't want to be surprised by the police. If push came to shove, Moxy would fight for her life. It was over anyway, and she might as well go out with a bang. Moxy delved deep into the back of her mind, thinking about her next move.

She could just run away. Go to a different city where nobody knew her. However, the league would have probably put a bounty on her, and she knew how much trainers loved scavenging for thieves when the payday was big. If she had to guess, Ms. Pennington would be lucky to recover at all. Her spine was most likely broken, and the blood in her ears meant she could need a hearing aid. Moxy glanced at Sylveon, who was whimpering quietly to herself.

'_Sylveon must be feeling even more horrible than I am,_' she thought. She turned her gaze back to the sidewalk and kept brainstorming.

Even if she did go to another city, she couldn't get help from pokemon centers or anything. All public services run background checks on ID's to cross-check them with people with warrants out for them.

She thought about hitching a ride to another region, but unfortunately, she didn't have a passport, and if she were caught without one, she would be deported back to Hoenn for being an immigrant. Worse, her crime was of an international nature, which didn't help her case.

'_Maybe I'll just live in the wilderness,_' She mused sarcastically. There was one last option. Maybe those people Aiden talked about could help her out of this situation. It was a long shot, and she couldn't help but feel a shiver crawl down her spine thinking about it.

Nevertheless, she swung her backpack around and zipped it open. Upon pulling out the phone, Sylveon growled, which startled the teen.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Moxy fumed, quickening her pace, "We're on the run, and the police have more resources than us. Besides I…" Moxy trailed off. If this last option was a waste of time, she would be out of any favorable options. Her throat became dry when Sylveon made a miserable whimper. The girl stopped and knelt down in front of her pokemon.

"Please stop crying," Moxy mumbled, her left hand caressing Sylveon's neck, "I know its hard, but we have to stay strong and keep moving forward. Or else we're finished. I don't like it any more than you do, but unless I come up with something better, it's all we've got."

Sylveon ears drooped, a sad expression forming on her face as she nodded reluctantly. Moxy wiped her eyes and stood up. She pressed the contacts list on the phone. There was only one number saved, and it was marked unknown. She tapped it and pinned the phone to her ear.

The cold wind sliced through her hair, and with every ring of the phone, Moxy head throbbed. After about ten rings and no response, her heart sunk. Suddenly, Moxy heard the static sound of someone picking up the other side. However, it was just silence after that.

"H-Hello?" Moxy whispered awkwardly, but nothing answered back. Fear flooded into her head, her heart pounding rapidly.

"I need help," she begged her voice breaking, "I have nowhere else to go. Please…"

A second that felt longer then it should have passed before Aiden's voice could be heard, "Go to the Route 116 gate," he said. The phone crackled into silence right after that, and Moxy stared at the phone, dumbfounded.

She couldn't believe it. If Aiden hadn't picked up, she would've had a panic attack. Just being on the brink of devastation, emotional and literal, was enough to make her smile, like it was something she could look back on and laugh.

However, as she looked up, the dark silhouette of a tall, male figure stood about three sidewalk gaps away from her. It stepped into the light of a lamppost, and she could make out those familiar broad shoulders, short caramel hair, and blue eyes.

"Mox, is that you?" Charles asked, squinting his eyes. Moxy took a step back, unsure whether Charles knew about what happened. Sylveon hid behind her trainers' legs, unable to meet Charles' gaze.

"H-hey," She responded, hastily pocketing the phone Aiden gave her, "What are you doing out here so late?"

Charles cocked an eyebrow at Moxy and Sylveon's irregular behavior, "I could say the same to you. I thought it was going to be quite the challenge trying to get past your overprotective headmistress at this hour. But here you are," he pointed behind her, "going in the opposite direction of the orphanage. Did something happen?"

Moxy rubbed her head, "Wait, you haven't gone home yet?"

Charles shrugged, "I wandered around, thinking about what you said earlier today. So, I went to train with Espeon a bit more, and then I came all this way to apologize to you."

"To apologize? For what?"

"I've changed my mind. I want to go on a journey with you, and I don't care about what my father says. He can't stop us," he said, a smile on his face. Moxy crossed her arms, a dejected look on her face as she struggled to look into her best friend's blue eyes.

"What's wrong, Moxy? I-I thought you would be happier," he asked, his cheery voice replaced with a puzzling tone.

"Go home, Charles," she said quietly.

Charles put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, what's with the brood? I'm right here with you, one hundred percent. I'm not going anywhere. You still want to travel across the region with me, right?"

Moxy gazed up at him, her expression infuriated, "I can't anymore! Turn on your TV! That will probably explain what your snake of a father did to me!"

Charles stepped back from her like he was afraid of getting burned, "What… What did he do? You can talk to me."

Moxy turned away from him, "It doesn't matter what he did. And I can't… trust you. As long as your father is alive, he will do anything to keep you on a leash. And I…" her warbled voice trailed off.

Charles's lips moved, but he had trouble forming a word.

"Just go to Unova. Finish your training. Find someone else to journey with. Anyone but me. I don't deserve to be your friend,"

"Stop saying that. I told you once before and I'll say it again. Nothing you do will ever drive me away,"

Moxy brought her hands up to her mouth, trying to compress her sobs. Suddenly, Charles turned Moxy around so that she was facing him. Charles pulled her chin up, and the pair locked eyes.

"You mean too much to me. I don't know what I would do without you. I-"

Moxy couldn't listen to him anymore as she shoved past him, her eyes shut tightly. Charles grabbed her arm before she could get out of his reach.

"Please, Mox. What about all those things we talked about, huh? Changing the world? Becoming Champion? I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to face my father. Just don't leave me!" he begged.

"If I stay you will lose me anyways. I'm in too much trouble now, so you are going to have to carry on in my place," she said, her gaze faltered, "are you going to let me go, or am I going to have Sylveon do it for you?"

Charles released his grip on her arm, and a tear ran down his cheek. Sylveon gave the boy a heart-broken look before tottering after her trainer. Charles stood under the street light as he watched Moxy's figure fade into the darkness of the streets. He kicked a puddle on the sidewalk, splashing water everywhere. Then he just stood there in torment. He'd ruined everything.

* * *

A large, white sign that read 'Route 116 ahead' passed her by as she made her way to the destination. The rain had made the air humid, and Moxy slugged down the sidewalk. She had left the southern district, and now skyscrapers surrounded her on all ends, like dominoes waiting to collapse on her. Sylveon became too tired to finish the journey, so Moxy balled her up. She couldn't blame her pokemon; she hadn't brought her to a pokemon center since her fight with Janice. Moxy's black jacket was folded in her arms, and she pulled at the high-collar of her sticky blouse.

Her eyes were dryer than a scorching desert. She walked the entire way to the gate, crying her heart out. She didn't care if the police found her, but alas, they never came. She thought she would feel better if Charles was out of her life, but it was the complete opposite. Her body was weak. Her mind was in ruins. And there was a hole in her soul that she feared would never be filled again.

Moxy looked at her watch, and it was one in the morning. Through the reflection of the timepiece, her puffy red eyes stared back. From what she could see, there was nobody out at this hour, and the occasional cry of a pokemon sounded somewhere within the winding city. It was strange, and she thought she would be ambushed at any moment. But against her better judgment, Moxy stopped in front of the entryway to the city from Route 116. The twenty-foot, iron gate loomed before her, and a stone wall of the same height traveled in both directions of the gate, fencing the entire city. This was to keep dangerous pokemon from entering the city. Upon closer inspection, blue sparks of electricity arced through the gaps in the gate.

Moxy took a step back, wary of being fried to a crisp by the electric grid insulating the gate. There was a control panel on the side of the gate with an ID scanner. If she were to scan her ID now, the gate would open for her. Would _have_ opened for her; since she was a criminal now, it would reject her ID. It was as if the city were a giant Tyrantrum trapping her within its steely jaws.

But Aiden had told her to come here. If she left, he wouldn't find her. Assuming he was coming here.

She couldn't help but feel like she was playing into the proverbial hand. Like any second the shadows would lash out at her and leave her for dead.

Moxy opened her backpack, trading her jacket for Sylveon's pokeball. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she wanted to be ready just in case.

Before she could let her pokemon out, the beat of a light footstep in an alley to her right made her spin around. She pointed Sylveon's ball towards the figure hidden in the shadows.

"Easy there, red," the figure said. There was something familiar about its smooth, male voice. Under closer inspection, she made out the figures trench coat, blond five' o'clock shadow, and black aviators resting in his blond hair.

"Show yourself," Moxy trembled, the pokeball heavy in her fingers.

"It's me, Ryker," He whispered loudly, coming out of the shadow of the alley. His small, jolly green eyes were fixed on Moxy.

"Oh thank Arceus," she exasperated, lowering her arm. Her brow furrowed as she tried to recognize him without glasses glued to his face.

With a grin, he gestured her to follow and disappeared back into the alleyway. They made their way further until they reached a T-intersection. Ryker gestured her to stay behind her as he peeked from around the corner, pulling out a small, black device. He pressed a button on it, and something created a sparking sound.

"Alright, we're clear," he announced. Moxy walked around the corner and saw a camera above a small, gated door that led out of the city. The hanging lights on the side were deactivated, and none of the electronics near the door were responsive either, including the camera, control panel, and electric grid.

"It's an EMP if you were wonderin'," he said, wiggling the device between his index finger and thumb.

"I don't understand. The streets are dead," she said, ignoring his statement, "You're the only cop I've seen since I started walking here. I thought they would have caught me much earlier. Did you do something?"

"Right now Walter's got most of his guys at the south exit. They're thinkin' you're aimin' to escape down by the docks. Only me and another guy are guardin' this exit. He's takin' a nap in my car," Ryker chuckled, jerking his thumb behind him.

"Oh," Moxy said before staying silent. Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the handles of her backpack. Ryker knelt on one knee to get to her level.

"Hey. Don't worry that pretty little head of yours. Aiden's waitin' for you on the other side. You'll be taken good care of, hear. The organizations big and secretive, and they're always welcomin' newcomers. This'll probably be the last time I' see you for a while. If you come back to Rustboro, give me a holler."

"Who are you guys, really?" Moxy asked, trying to get the truth out of the police officer.

"Nah-ah-ah. I'll let Aiden answer that when you find him," Ryker responded smugly, "Take care of yourself, alright?"

As Moxy stared at the gate, she recalled all the things she would be leaving behind. Her dreams of becoming Champion, the thrill of a journey, and Charles. She was unsure whether she was making the right choice for her future.

Ryker gently pushed her, "C'mon. Enough waitin' around. This EMP doesn't last forever,"

'_I'm sorry, Charles,'_ she thought as she walked up to the gate, unfastening the latch to open it.

"Oh, almost forgot," Ryker spoke up suddenly. He took his aviators off his forehead and stayed kneeling in preparation, "I'm gonna need you to punch me in the face as hard as you can."

Moxy spun around, "You want me to do what?"

Ryker scratched his head, "Yeah, its a weird request. But I'm plannin' on tellin' Walter you caught me and my partner off guard before nabbing the security footage,"

Despite her trauma, a wide grin spread onto Moxy's face, "Okay, but I'm warning you, I've got a mean right jab,"

Ryker laughed loudly, "Let's be serious now, you couldn't hurt a- OOF," he was cut short as Moxy socked him across his left side of his face. His nose was bleeding, and he rubbed his bruised eye in pain.

"You were saying," she giggled, putting a hand on her hip.

"Jeez that hurt," Ryker whined, wiping the dribble of blood trickling down his nose.

"Well, you were asking for it,"

"Thanks, I guess. Now go. Catch you on the other side," Ryker stood up and flashed her a toothy grin before walking back out the way they came in.

As soon as Moxy reached the other side and closed the door, the hum of electricity jumpstarted the cameras and lights, as well as a blue flickering that signified the electric grid was back online. Directly in front of her was a wall of spruce trees. It seemed this exit was supposed to be an escape route out of the city.

Moxy pushed her way through the forest, getting whacked by the occasional branch and watching for the Nincada whose chirps echoed throughout the darkness. Her shoes squished in the wet dirt, and the musk of sodden leaves filled her nostrils. After a minute, she could see a moonlit, dirt road through the overgrown thicket.

She burst out of the woodlands and ran into the middle of a dirt road, scanning the area for Aiden. Sweat dripped down the side of her forehead. Just off to the right side of the road, there was a parked, night-black Humvee. Its lights were off.

Moxy got behind the truck, peering through the rear window to see if there were any black-haired men in the driver's seat. She walked up to the passenger side of the vehicle. No one was inside.

"Boo!" a sudden, cheery voice breathed on the nape of her neck.

"AHH!" Moxy yelped, spinning around to find Aiden behind her, a little too close for comfort. He giggled like a madman while walking around the hood of the car.

"I. Hate. You," Moxy grumbled, entering the humvee as unceremoniously as possible. Aiden entered at the same time, and with a turn of a key, the headlights flared to life. The wheels churned in the sand before the truck drove down the road. Moxy got comfortable in her seat, and Aiden turned up the air conditioner.

"Aren't you looking alive and well," Aiden started as he assessed her condition. Moxy's blouse was uncomfortably damp, and there were a couple of leaves sticking out from her frayed, scarlet hair.

"Just alive. Not well," Moxy growled. Aiden chuckled nervously, and Moxy shot him a silent glare.

"I hope this is worth it…" she mumbled loud enough for Aiden to hear as she crossed her arms and sunk into her seat.

"I promise," Aiden assured, an intense look on his elfish face, "Just being inside this car means you already trust me."

"Not like I had much of a choice. I'm sure you heard what happened."

"It's hard to ignore something on the front page of the news,"

"I'm still confused about this. I spoke with the police earlier today, and I was ruled out as a potential suspect. The footprints, my motive. There was no evidence. I even have an alibi for where I was, but," she cut herself off, sighing, "It wouldn't even matter. What would I have even said? That I didn't steal the ruby because I was breaking into a different place?"

"Do you have any idea who framed you?" Aiden asked, focusing on the road.

Moxy tightened her fist, "I do. Walter,"

Aiden smirked, "That's a little out there, don't you think?"

"No. You know I was at his mansion before I went to see you. We were arguing. He knew Charles wanted to go with me on a journey,"

Moxy turned her body so she was facing Aiden, "I mean, think about it. The police got the ruby back, so he didn't lose anything. I've seen Elliot battle a Gallade in the mansion gardens, too. Those are the means. And he loves his son so much that he didn't want him to leave with me, so there is a motive. I would bet all my money that if I had to measure Walter's feet, they would probably be size thirteen."

Moxy continued with her theorizing, "His only evidence was that the gemstone was found in a dumpster near the school and that I was running from the scene of the crime. Because the evidence doesn't add up, people might think I'm an accomplice for the real thief, but-"

"Moxy. Stop it," Aiden interrupted her, "The only thing you'll get from all this conjecture is a headache. It's already giving me one,"

"I'm... sorry. I just have a lot on my chest,"

"All that walking probably made you tired. Relax. We'll be at the destination soon,"

"Where are we going, anyway?" Moxy asked, picking herself up from her seat to get a better view outside.

"Not too far. We have a hideout a few miles from Rustboro."

"That close? Aren't you afraid of the police finding it?"

"It's hidden inside the forest. Besides, that's just a staging area. The real headquarters is much more secluded."

"Ah, you don't trust me enough to see the big base, is that it?" Moxy joked. Aiden chuckled before continuing.

"It's not like that. We have a certain order of doing things. There is a chain of command, and certain ranks are given specific knowledge and information."

"I'm guessing you aren't going to tell me what kind of organization you are a part of either."

Aiden glanced at her, a sheepish look on his face, "What do you think our organization is like?"

"You're obviously part of some sort of criminal enterprise. I'm not stupid. Ryker told me you guys chose me because of my unique skills. You and he are recruiters for people like me. People who are easy to take advantage of," Moxy answered, unfazed about the way she labeled herself.

"Harsh when you put it that way. Sure, I might have pushed some of your buttons, but can you honestly tell me you were better off? Once you turned eighteen, you would be alone. You've also been profiled into the police database, so what kind of job would you have been able to get? The system was against you from the start."

"That isn't entirely true. I had someone who cared about me. We would have taken care of each other."

"You can still leave if you'd like. Although things would become considerably more difficult for you now that you're wanted by the police."

"No shit. You guys are my best option. For now," she finished. Moxy opened her backpack, pulling out her silver necklace and wrapping it around her neck. She needed something to soothe herself from this trying time besides her pokemon.

Her legs ached, and it was the first time since her afternoon with Charles where she wasn't at the mercy of her emotions. As she rested her head on the cold window, she stared deep into the dark forest, watching the trees whiz past her. It had a hypnotic effect on her, and the past twelve or so hours finally took their toll on her as she fell asleep.

* * *

The moon was high in the sky, its brilliant splendor shining upon the sleeping city of Rustboro. The summer trees shuffled against the cold, windy night, and lamppost stood in line along the edge of the stone, brick-patterned sidewalk.

Suddenly, a slender figure ran across the sidewalk. The figure made a swift turn into a dark alleyway before hiding around the corner. Bright lights grew in the street, and the ground rumbled as a car drove past the figure. The figure was clad in black, wearing sweatpants, sneakers, a jacket, gloves, and a baseball cap. The figure let out a visible puff of air and took off its hat, revealing the person underneath.

Moxy's red hair was tied into a bun as she continued through the alleyway, hands in her pockets. She constantly turned around, wariness brewing behind her big, green eyes. Her heart pumped with adrenaline, and the cold, night air numbed her nose. The sound of shuffling cans and jars from a nearby dumpster made it to her ears. She had to stifle her yelp as two Zigzagoon scuttled out of the dumpster and disappeared into the streets.

A couple of turns through the winding alleys, and soon Moxy found herself on the sidewalk again. She put the black cap back on, not wanting anyone to recognize her. She finally found what she was looking for on the other side of the street. The lights of Rustboro's Antiquities were shut off. She ran towards the store, making sure to stay in the street camera's blind spot.

Moxy cased the store earlier that day, and she found out there were some problems with the store's camera equipment that management still hadn't fixed. There isn't much crime in Rustboro, so everyone was pretty laid back when it came to security. A mistake they would realize too late.

She peered through the dark window of the store, and after assessing that nobody was around, she pulled out two bobby pins from her pocket. Without a moment to waste, she crouched in front of the doorknob to the front door and inserted her pins into the lock. Her ear was held up close to the door. One click. Then two more. Thirty seconds passed and Moxy glanced to her left. Fourth click. Another glance to the right.

_Click. _There was no pressure from the lock when she twisted the top bobby pin. To her delight, the old door creaked open. Moxy slipped inside, making sure to close the door behind her.

A flashlight clicked in her hands as she perused the collection of antiquities, the gleam of greed in her eyes. There was a large, totem-like souvenir that resembled a Gengar where the cash register was. Its large teeth smiled wickedly, and its red, crystal eyes seemed to peer into her soul.

'_Pass,_' she thought. Near the back of the store, she noticed a large, crystalline stone that sparkled like the ocean at night. A water stone. Unfortunately, it was quite large, and she couldn't think of a place secure enough to hide it without her headmistress noticing. She needed something that would fit inside her pocket.

Moxy jumped over the counter. There was a door that went into a back room. Moxy turned her flashlight off and carefully twisted the handle, unsure who or what was behind the door.

The room was dark. And deathly silent. Not even a breath could be heard. Moxy turned her flashlight back on and scanned the room. There were more antiques in the back, all too large or too ugly. On a table at the back sat a cluster of gold rings and necklaces. Moxy ignored them. They were too showy.

Soon, her gaze fell upon a small, iron safe in the corner. A sticky note was stuck on the front.

'DO NOT OPEN' it read. The sticky note looked old, like a sudden shift in the wind would cause it to fall. Curiosity kicked in, and with the flashlight between her teeth, Moxy went to work on the cold, sturdy lock. After about 30 seconds, the lock clicked. The safe door creaked open, and Moxy pointed her flashlight inside.

Trapped inside was a small, silver necklace. The adornment was a plain, decorated silver ball that glistened brightly under her flashlight. For some odd reason, Moxy couldn't turn her gaze from it, and it interested her and terrified her at the same time.

She pulled the necklace out gingerly, the silver cold in the palm of her hand.

'_An early birthday present,_' she thought, smiling as she shoved the necklace into her pocket. She looked around the room, but nothing else caught her eye. Sure, she could just take more. However, she didn't know anyone who would fence the stolen items for her. And there was no way she was keeping it all inside her drawer at home. Better to have something she would enjoy rather than cold, hard cash.

'_Sure would be nice to have a fence, though. Or anyone, for that matter,_' she thought. Out of all the people Moxy knew, only Sylveon knew she was a thief, and the pokemon constantly scolded her for it. However, Moxy made sure to leave her pokemon out of her nefarious deeds, lest she ends up like her in some way or another.

The girl locked the safe again and hurried out of the store, making sure to leave everything the way she found it. As she headed outside, the sound of a distant siren blared in the silent night. Her eyes widened. The police couldn't know she was there.

In a moment of sudden desperation, she ran. Straight across the street and towards the orphanage. She had to keep her cap from flying off her head as she zipped around a corner, bewilderingly scanning for the blue and red lights.

About ten minutes later, the gloomy exterior of the orphanage was in her sights. The street was so lifeless that if she were lying on the ground bleeding, not a soul would hear her cries. Fortunately for her, the window to her room was around the side of the building and away from prying eyes. However, her headmistresses' room was also around the side, and that was where the fire escape led to. Moxy crept around the house and into the alleyway as quietly as she could, as to not alert Ms. Pennington in any way. There was a dumpster below the high ladder of the steel fire escape. Moxy took off her sneakers and hid them behind the dumpster, then as quietly as she could, climbed onto the dumpster. She then leaped up, barely making the ladder. She weighed nothing, so the steel fire escape made little to no noise as she climbed it.

As soon as her socked feet touched the second level of the fire escape, she peered into Ms. Pennington's room from around the side of the window. The curtains were closed, but there were no lights on. It was just the way Moxy hoped it would be. Her room was two windows away, and the girl continued up to the roof of the building.

When she reached the top, Moxy looked out into the city. Rustboro, the heart of an everlasting industry. Of all the three-story or so complexes in her sightlines, the skyscraper that was Devon stood out amongst them. Murkrow darted through the night sky, their watchful eyes observing Moxy's every move, or so she thought.

There was a dirty, white cloth tied to a pole right above her window. _'Thank Arceus Penny never checks the roof,' _Moxy thought, grasping the cloth and pulling it a couple of times to make sure it was secure. She hoisted herself over the side and grappled down. She barely made the sill as she reached the open window. With all her might, she swung into her room, sliding inside and landing on her bed with a soft thud. Moxy closed the window silently before letting out a sigh of relief.

She tiptoed to her red dresser, opening the top drawer full of clothing. She pulled the silver necklace from her pocket and examined it. It was a simple, unadorned necklace that wasn't even gold, but still, it enthralled her in a way she'd never experienced before.

She couldn't quite grasp the feeling or the reason why, but she decided the answer would come to her someday. Whether that be tomorrow or a year later, she didn't care as she hid the necklace deep within the reaches of her drawer. After closing it silently, she lay in her bed, staring up into the dazzling moon.

Slowly and suddenly, the moon seemed to brighten more and more, until it became as bright as the sun.

Moxy's vision slowly began to darken, but it wasn't from sleep. Suddenly, she began to sink. Through her bed, and into the ground. She kept falling, everything around her complete darkness. She tried to flail her arms, but they were limp.

Laughter filled the void around her, ringing her ears. It was high-pitched, like that of a child, maybe female.

'_What's happening?_' Moxy thought, her head throbbing in pain. A grating, disembodied voice replied, every word sending a chill down her spine.

'_I need more._'

Moxy's heart pounded rapidly, "More? More what?" she spoke out, surprised to hear her own voice.

'_More of your despair,_' as it finished, she heard a loud plunge and afterward, fizzling. The darkness turned into a haze of deep blue, and bubbles danced around her. She realized she was sinking into the dark abyss of a bottomless ocean.

She was afraid to talk. Or breathe, for that matter, as opening her mouth would cause a torrent of water to enter her body.

'_It must be a pokemon using Nightmare,'_ she thought, _'But how is it speaking to me?'_

'_Observant. But knowing won't save you._'

Moxy pinched herself, metaphorically. He, or she, was right. The only way out of a Nightmare was to either defeat the pokemon inflicting it, or to wake up naturally. She would be in there for a while.

'_Why me? There are many other people with much tastier dreams than mine,'_ she questioned, still sinking. The pressure of the ocean began to crush her body, despite it being an illusion.

'_Because we're connected now. I can feel your anguish. The crucible you went through. This will do.'_

Suddenly, Moxy could no longer hold her breath. She tried to climb up to the dark surface, but she was still paralyzed. The voice of the mysterious pokemon spoke, but this time it echoed in Moxy's mind.

'_It seems our time has come to an end, but I'm sure we'll meet again._'

Then she inhaled. The water flooded into her, and she started to choke. There was nothing she could do as she descended into a watery doom. Her eyeballs wanted to pop from her skull, and her vision darkened. Only her internal cries for help were the final thing keeping her awake before she lost all consciousness…

"Moxy wake up!"

The girl opened her eyes, reeling forward from her seat in the car as she gasped for air. She was shivering, and her lungs struggled to take in air. Aiden had his hand on her left shoulder, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay?!" Aiden asked. Moxy frantically searched her surroundings, trying to locate the source of her recent torment.

"Where is it?!" she exclaimed.

"Woah, calm down. Where's what?"

"The pokemon! Most likely a psychic or ghost type. Tell me!" she yelled hysterically, trying to unbuckle her seatbelt.

Aiden grabbed her arm before she could do a thing, "Hey, calm down! You were screaming in your sleep. Were you having a nightmare?"

Moxy took a couple of deep breaths, thanking Arceus for air, "Yes, but it was a pokemon. They would have needed to stay near me to keep the Nightmare going."

"Stay here," he ordered her as he exited the car. They were parked on the side of the road, still surrounded by two lines of thick trees. Bug pokemon chirped in the silent night.

A minute later the driver door opened and Aiden sat down, "Whatever was attacking you is probably long gone by now. Are you sure it wasn't just a bad dream?"

"I know what I felt. It even spoke to me."

Aiden tilted his head in confusion, "It spoke to you? What did it say?" Aiden asked, the tiniest notion of disbelief in his voice.

"That it would happen again," Moxy shuddered at the thought. She peeked at her watch. She was only asleep for about twenty minutes.

"Were almost there. The hideout is surrounded by dark aura to negate ghost and psychic types. Just hang on," Aiden reassured before shifting the car into drive. Moxy sat back, still traumatized by the dream, as well as terrified of when the next would happen.

* * *

Moxy checked her watch again. It was about two-thirty in the morning. The car was parked deep in the forest, but still a bit far from their actual destination.

The two hiked it towards the hideout. Moxy was trying hard to stay awake despite the fact she'd been up for almost twenty-four hours.

Aiden explained to her the things she would need to do before she entered. First, she had to take off any metal, jewelry, and electronics before going through the entrance. There was a special metal detector that scanned for just about everything, half of which Moxy didn't even know existed.

Secondly, she would have to keep her pokemon inside an electromagnetic capsule. All pokemon are tagged with a chip to make sure other trainers can't catch them, as well as record them in the database. Since it can also be tracked in case the pokemon goes missing, Aiden said they will have to replace the chip as soon as possible. Even if she didn't join them, it would be a good idea since she is wanted.

Finally, Moxy wasn't allowed to explore the base without a high-ranking member until she was initiated.

"Initiated? This is starting to sound like some sort of cult."

"As funny as it sounds, you need to take this seriously. If you roam around the base without being initiated, the pokemon guarding the base will attack you on sight," he droned on as if he had explained this before, "Do you understand?"

Aiden had stopped, and he waited for a reply. Moxy tilted her head, a little confused.

"I know you don't like rules and regulations. It's in your blood, I can tell. But it's especially important to follow them when any deviation can lead to an injury, or worse. I've had to deal with the aftermath of initiates deciding they were above the rules, only for it to backfire on them. Horribly,"

"Horribly? What happened?" she sounded more curious than morbid.

"I need you to tell me you understand what I'm telling you," he stressed. Like before, he sounded genuine and concerned for her.

"I understand,"

Aiden gazed at her for a few seconds before accepting her reply and continuing forward.

"Good, then I suppose it's time for you to see what we're all about," Aiden said, pushing over some leaves to reveal an open clearing. It was shaped in a half-circle, and the side of a large mountain stood at the end of the clearing. The two made their way over to the mountain wall, and Aiden placed his hand on a part of it. The ground shook, and a portion of the mountain began to slide open, revealing a cave.

"Some technology you guys have," Moxy marveled. Aiden smirked in response.

"Welcome to Team Magma."

* * *

The sun cracked above the horizon. Two police cruisers and an ambulance were parked in front of the brick orphanage, whose door was covered with yellow, police tape. Inside, the orphanage was torn apart by the police, and a white clock's small hand was pointed to seven. Mike and Ryker, who were standing near the door, moved aside to allow two medics to haul Ms. Pennington's body outside on a cot. Another officer held a Manectric on a leash, and the electric-yellow dog sniffed around the living room looking for evidence.

Upstairs, sunlight crept into Moxy's messy bedroom. Walter Lockwood sat on the disheveled bed, his eyes bagged and heavy. He wore a black trench coat under his suit like the officers downstairs, and a small device was held close to his mouth. Standing beside the rooms broken door was a red and black, bipedal pokemon. Ivory, crescent blades protruded from its body like its ribcage was inside out, and its expression was unreadable under its worn-out, double ax-like helmet. It stood as still as a statue, and the metal blades unsheathed from its gloves looked like they'd seen a thousand wars.

Walter pressed his thumb against the side of the device, and it beeped.

"The day is May the third. The… criminal is still in the wind, and their room carried no evidence as to their current whereabouts. However, they were apparently seen battling another pokemon trainer outside the warranted safe zones and under no supervision. A follow-up interrogation could yield more information. As for when they were last seen, they assaulted two officers at the Route 116 gate, only knocking them unconscious. They disabled the gate and cameras, allowing them to escape undetected. The chip embedded in their pokemon pinged a little ways from the gate but has since then turned unresponsive, so our system cannot track them. After speaking with their guardian, it's been concluded they are deluded, and their pokemon are extremely dangerous. Thus, they should be treated with extreme force. End recording," he said, taking his thumb off the recorder. Walter sighed as he slumped his head.

Just then, Charles appeared at the foot of the door. The Bisharp sensed him and pivoted on its war-boot-like foot, impeding Charles' entry. It met the boy's angry expression with an idle but intimidating glare, and Charles' heart swam up into his throat.

Walter's narrowed his eyes at his son, "I thought I told you to wait in the car," he said sternly.

"I can't believe you would say that! She isn't dangerous, she's just scared!" Charles defended, peering at his father around the Bisharp.

"Go back to the car," Walter ordered.

"She didn't steal that ruby! She's being framed, and you're allowing it! You need to save her, not hunt her!" Charles insisted.

"Don't let your feelings for her cloud your mind. I've taught you better. Go back to the car, or I'll make you."

Charles tried to retort, but the Bisharp took a step towards Charles. Its dark glare bore into him, and it stood there as if it were waiting for a fight. After a second, the boy huffed before storming down the hallway.

'_I swear I'll make it right. I'll prove your innocence, no matter what. Just hang in there._'

**Authors Note: You guys can go to my profile if you need information about the world elements I added in. That said, I really hope you guys enjoyed this. Feel free to leave a review or PM me if there is something you liked or disliked about the fic. It is my first one, and I want to improve, so if there are any ideas you have to make the fic better, let me know. I will try to respond as soon as possible, but I can get easily burdened with my real-life duties.**

**Cheers!**


	2. Episode II: A Test of Blood

**So, before you start this episode, I would strongly suggest you give the previous one a quick read if you haven't already. I made some major edits to the plot to fit my new outline. That said, I am sorry. To those returning to read the fic, thanks for giving this a chance. Without further ado:**

* * *

**Episode II:**

**A Test of Blood**

* * *

"Start moving these crates! Let's go!" a man yelled impatiently, startling the redheaded girl.

"Yeah, I heard you the first three times," she muttered under her breath, hoisting a long, wooden crate into her arms from the back of a truck.

The dazzling moon hid behind the clouds, and the terrifying echo of an unknown pokemon roared from somewhere far beyond the dark forest that surrounded the grassy half-clearing. The side of a great mountain loomed over them, where an opening inside led into an inky cave. A black cargo truck was parked in front of the opening, its intense headlights exposing the dust in the air to human perception.

Around six people, including Moxy, were hauling wooden crates into the cave. Her dark red combat boots crunched against the grainy dirt, and the red, long-sleeved turtleneck that was tucked into her red slacks warmed her throughout the bitter night. Her black utility belt was wrapped around her waist, and her gloved hands tightened around the box she held. A red military beret rested on top of her head, and sweat trickled down her now short, crimson hair. The beret fashioned the letter M in black, which signified who she worked for.

'_Team Magma,' _she thought as she glanced at her comrades. They all wore the same thing as her, except one person who also wore a red hoodie with the M printed on the front. Protruding from the sides of his donned hood were two, black spikes, which was an odd piece of fashion, but Moxy learned to respect those horns. That was also the person barking orders from his car seat, like a king speaking to peasants.

"Come on, pups! Haul faster!" he shouted again, his coarse voice echoing across the clearing. Moxy grimaced when he said 'pup'.

A disgraceful word, but that was what all the higher-ups liked to call initiates like herself. Just whelps looking to take a larger bite out of the cake. Sure, he was just a grunt, but Moxy was just a trainee. Compared to him, she was a crumb. One of many looking to officially join Team Magma, who were extremely cautious with who they employed. Therefore, there was little she could do to defy the grunt's orders.

"Hey, red! Stop messing around and get a move on!" Moxy, still standing with the box in her arms, was startled by the grunt.

With a grumble, she lugged the heavy box through the mountain crevice, and her shoulders burned with soreness. A few steps inside was a large metal detector and beyond that a metal, two-panel door. As she passed through the invisible laser, a light above the door flashed green, and the door slid open for her.

The ambient sounds of a crowd greeted her upon entry into the domed, spacious cave. Fluorescent, yellow lights illuminated the stalactite-filled ceiling, their wires naked for all to see. She had to ascend a few steps to reach a raised, steel-plated foundation surrounded by a railing. Computers and server stations sang their electronic tunes, and the foundation continued into two, wide tunnels opposite of each other. About two dozen people were either working behind computers, talking about some data on a tablet, or cracking open the crates she brought in. Some of the initiates she could identify wore hoodies like the man outside, except their hoods were hornless.

The thing that made it stand out, however, was the orderly chaos. In Moxy's eyes, they looked like soldiers, each completing the task they were responsible for, like a hive. And each one was motivated by the red, symbolled flag that hung in the back of the room, the large M printed on it showcased for all to see.

Moxy could no longer bear the weight of her load, and she dumped her crate onto one of the many piles littering the edge of the foundation. The others helping her unload the truck followed suit. Outside, the loud gurgle of the truck engine fired up, and soon after a crunch of tires against the dirt as the Team Magma operative drove away.

"Alright, let's start unpacking," one of the other initiates announced as he cracked open the top of a crate with a crowbar. Moxy, still catching her breath, peered inside and saw the glossy exteriors of half-a-dozen, black assault rifles.

Despite repeating this routine every week, the guns always made her uncomfortable. Aiden had promised her that Team Magma was one of justice for mankind, yet they harbored weapons built to harm men. It seemed contradictory, but Aiden told her it was to protect them. She wasn't naive. She knew they hurt people. If she examined the guns, they would most likely be stolen from some factory, or at least lack a serial number.

She was aware it was an evil organization. However, she was also aware it was all she had.

She thought back to that day when she was framed. Six long, boring months ago. From the first day she had set foot in the cave, Aiden had put her through her paces. Training, testing, and filling her head with a mentality she was somewhat skeptical of. How to blend into a crowd, how to reassemble a pistol, and even learning how to change her accent to hide her voice. That last one was the hardest to learn since the only accents she could do was Unovan snob and high-pitch annoying.

In the end, all of the training was to help her. If she decided to leave Team Magma, she would at least have the skills to survive and not get caught. The news outlets made it clear they wanted her head on a pike. It wasn't because she stole a ruby, but because her alleged crime was of a political nature. She disrupted a peace treaty between the two nations. If not Hoenn, then Unova would send her to a prison made for hardened criminals as a political statement, no matter her age. She wouldn't be able to survive on her own, so moving weapons like a good girl was her only option. For now.

Moxy took out two of the rifles, slinging one across her shoulder and holding the other by its handguard. They were cold in her grip. She walked to the armory, a steel-walled room closed behind a grated door. With her free hand, she opened the door, put the rifles on racks, and left to get more.

It was a grueling task, and it took her and the other five people helping her about an hour to finish unpacking everything. It wasn't just weapons either; Moxy had to store food, supplies, and gear from the crates. By the time she and her group were finished with the last box, it was about eleven at night. Her legs ached, and her tired eyes scanned the emptying room. Most of the grunts either left the base or went to the sleeping quarters after the long day.

Moxy was also about to call it a night when some grunts at the entrance made way for a group of people.

It was Aiden. He was dressed in the same Team Magma outfit, and he wore that red hoodie with the black spikes. His hood was down, his droopy, black hair exposed for all to see.

Moxy was about to wave her hand to grab his attention, but she was discouraged upon seeing the stringy man walking beside Aiden. He had a thin, black beard, and his head was held high. He was dressed in the same attire as Aiden, but the hood he donned had two, large yellow horns. The tiny bits of black hair sticking out from under his hood were speckled with dandruff as if he hadn't showered in days.

'_Quinn,_' Moxy thought, biting her lip. He wasn't looking at her, but his presence still overwhelmed her. It wasn't that he was one of the bosses. An admin, as Aiden liked to put it. It also wasn't the fact that his resting face was always fixed in a condescending expression, like a Tyranitar staring down the Rattata's that made their home in his nest.

His bold eyebrows furrowed as he scanned the room. His wiry, ungloved right-hand was fiddling with a snag in his hoodie. And Moxy's hairs stood on end when his narrow, jet-black pupils darted in her direction. They never blinked, as if he were waiting for someone within her little group to make a tiny error of some sort.

After a few seconds that seemed like hours, Quinn went back to his inaudible speech with Aiden, and relief washed over Moxy. Following behind them was a woman much taller than Aiden or Quinn. 'Model' was the word that came to Moxy's mind as she assessed her. Her pale waist and legs were exposed, and she fashioned thigh-high shorts and a cropped Team Magma hoodie. Platinum blonde strands coursed down the right side of her head, almost hiding one of her ice-blue eyes. In her red-gloved hand, she hoisted a rectangular, silver briefcase by the handle.

The trio turned into the left tunnel before disappearing behind a corner.

It had been a week since Moxy had last seen Aiden. He and Quinn were running an important errand. So important, that Aiden didn't say a word about it to her. And now they were back with a mysterious woman. What happened? Where did they go?

Curiosity got the best of her, and Moxy casually walked into the same tunnel and turned the corner. She looked behind her, making sure no one was following her. Even before reaching the first door in the empty tunnel, she could easily make out Quinn's brazen and harsh voice from behind it.

'Meeting room. Only authorized members allowed.' a sign spelled out above the door. A voice in her head told her to just turn around. If Quinn caught her, he wouldn't get angry. He would get furious.

But her heart rate spiked, and a smile grew on her face as she planted an ear on the door. What could possibly go wrong?

"I'm not going," she heard Quinn complain, "If I have to talk to another sissy politician, I'm going to shoot myself. Have one of your lackeys do it. Hell, let Natalia go,"

"Hyun? What's the harm of shaking hands with some of the higher-class?" an equally loud man asked, his voice sophisticated but nasally. There was static in his voice like he was speaking through a machine, "Even so, Natalia is scheduled for another mission."

"More mission?" the other female, presumably Natalia, questioned. Her foreign accent was thick and nothing like she imagined her to sound, but Moxy subconsciously smiled at the way her R's rolled off her tongue, "I just come back from last mission. Give me break, Tabby,"

"Yeah, give her a break, Tabitha," Quinn agreed, "Let me handle her mission while she plays dress up and tea party,"

"I can't believe you're actually entertaining this!" Tabitha complained, "Natalia has as much personality as an, erm... rock!"

"What is phrase? No offense taken?" Natalia deadpanned.

"This is really, really important, Quinn. Set aside your feelings and enjoy the night. Drink some champagne. Greet the other guests. Try to get this new mayor on our side."

A deep exhale came out from someone, "Alright, whatever," Quinn acquiesced.

"Atta boy," Tabitha said, "now that orders are concluded, did either of you receive any information from Devon?" Tabitha continued.

"Nothing from the bugs we planted. We talked to our contact, too. Whatever they have in there, either it's being kept secret or there's nothing to hide,"

There was a moment of silence. Moxy pushed her ear up a little closer, thinking they were speaking in hushes.

"Very well then. Put some of the other grunts on it. There's something else I want to talk-"

"HEY!" a voice echoed. However, it didn't come from inside. Moxy swiveled her head to the other end of the tunnel. A grunt had his angry eyes set on her, and the metal floor reverberated with every stomp her way. His large chest was puffed out like he was trying hard to imitate a Machamp.

"What do you think you're doing, rookie?!"

She shot onto her feet from her crouch. The startled shuffling from inside the room made Moxy's heart thump so rapidly she thought it would explode out her ears.

"Nuh-nothing, sir. I was j-just picking something off the ground and-" she cut herself off when the planning room door swung wide open.

"What the hell is going on out here?!" Quinn yelled in the doorway. He loomed over Moxy, and the anger plastered all over his face caused Moxy to freeze. Aiden peered from behind his shoulder, his eyes showing an amalgamation of confusion and worry.

"Admin Quinn!" the grunt saluted, pounding his left fist against his chest while his other arm shot high to his right, "I caught this initiate spying through your door!"

Moxy's looked wildly between Quinn and the grunt, "That's not true! I was just-"

"Shut your mouth!" Quinn barked. He focused his sharp gaze on the grunt, "Good job, but next time try not to startle the whole damn base,"

"Yes, sir!" the grunt replied loudly, drawing out a grimace from Quinn. The grunt gave the Team Magma salute once more before marching away robotically. Quinn brought his stalwart attention back on Moxy. She stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

"You stupid grunt!" Quinn seethed, taking hold of Moxy's shirt with both his hands.

"I-I'm sorry sir!" she cried. Her eyes shot desperately at Aiden behind him. She hoped he would jump in to aid her, no pun intended.

"Didn't they teach you any fucking manners, princess!? What the hell do you want!?"

Moxy opened her mouth to respond, but all she could form were incomprehensible stutters. Moxy tried to stay tough, but the pressure from Quinn was too much for her to handle. Her vision became blurry with tears, and her shoulders heaved in random spurts.

"You're going to have to speak up. I can't hear you!" Quinn yelled, his canines exposed in a grin. Suddenly, the voice she so desperately wanted to hear spoke up.

"Cut off it, Quinn. She was probably just looking for me. She's had enough,"

Quinn's eyes darted at Aiden, whose hand was placed on his shoulder. His grin was gone the moment it came, "Eh? She's had enough until I say-"

"Besides," Aiden interrupted, "the meeting isn't over."

Inside the room, Moxy could barely make out the dark silhouette of a large man fizzling behind a television screen through her teary-eyed vision. The blonde girl from before was also looking at her, an inquisitive look behind those blue eyes. Quinn growled before releasing his grip on Moxy. She stumbled on her feet and fell unceremoniously on the floor.

"Make sure she receives the full Magma punishment for her insubordination. She went to the academy. Maybe she'll learn to mind her fucking business," Quinn retreated inside the room, and Moxy jumped at the loud slam of the door.

"Oh..." Moxy whimpered. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve before looking up at Aiden. His hands rested on his hips and her fear returned.

"How much of that did you hear?" he asked. His demeanor was calm, like always.

"Barely anything, Aiden, I-I swear!"

"Calm down. I don't mind that you heard any of what we said. Hell, I would expect you to listen in anyway," Aiden said in a lowered voice, helping Moxy up from the floor.

"W-what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, tilting her head.

"It means you were doing great. Until you lost focus of your surroundings and got caught,"

A weight was lifted from Moxy's shoulders. At least Aiden wasn't angry with her.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just get you to bed,"

Moxy was wide-eye again, "Didn't Quinn say-"

"Quinn says anything when he's angry. It's not like you killed someone,"

Aiden wrapped his shoulder around Moxy and led her out of the tunnel. Aidens embrace was warm like a fireplace on a wet night, and Moxy wanted to stay and never let go. They made their way through the lobby and then into another tunnel. A sign saying 'sleeping quarters' was located at the entrance. Unlike the other tunnel, multiple fluorescent lamps bathed them with light, each throwing their shadows across the rocky wall every few steps. Further in she saw an initiate and his Mightyena patrolling their way. The initiate had his hand on the pokemon's back, and there was a smile on his face when he saw Moxy and Aiden. The dog perked up, its tongue lolling out as if it expected something from them. Aiden gave them a wave before continuing.

The sleeping quarters were six rows of bunk beds under dim, yellow lights. About half of the beds were filled with people. Some members were playing cards between beds, others were chatting in whispers, and most had blankets over their heads, resting after a long day.

They made their way to the farthest bed in the corner, where Moxy found her furry, pink friend sprawled out on the bottom bunk. Besides her small and adorable appearance, Sylveon had grown a few centimeters. Her pink fur had a more vibrant color, and it was thicker where the top of her head was. Her fluffy tail wagged eagerly at the sight of her trainer, but as soon as she saw Aiden her ears became flat.

"Hey there," Aiden greeted Sylveon. He tried to pet her, but she kept her eyes locked on his spidery hand and backed away.

"Sorry," Moxy apologized for her. She kicked her boots off before shimmying onto the bed, and Sylveon noticed her trainer's red eyes. The pokemon whined and nudged Moxy's hand. She scratched a spot behind Sylveon's ears, and the pokemon cooed.

"It's nothing," Moxy assured her before turning to Aiden, who was kneeling beside the bed.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I hate him, Aiden," Moxy whispered all of a sudden, not wanting any of the other grunts to hear her, "why couldn't you take me to another hideout or something? Somewhere I wouldn't have to deal with his incessant mockery of me. So what I went to the academy? It probably means I'm smarter than him."

"Calm down, alright? He's dealing with a lot of problems right now,"

"Well, he's going to have one more to deal with," she seethed while balling her fist. Sylveon was quick to wrap a feeler around Moxy's arm, using her powers to make Moxy feel serene.

Aiden sighed, "You have to learn to control your anger, Moxy. It wouldn't matter if Quinn killed Skitty's for a living. He's your boss. You want to move up in the ranks, don't you?"

Moxy's eyes darted away from Aiden. As much as it pained her, he was right. Her mind boiled just thinking about having to put up with Quinn, but alas there were things more important than her anger.

"Besides," Aiden continued, "you were the one who snuck around in the first place. So if anything, Quinn has a right to get angry,"

"He was more than angry. I saw the look in his eyes. He liked making me cry," she brought her legs close to her chest and hugged them. Sylveon licked Moxy on the cheek, and she put a paw on one of Moxy's legs before turning to Aiden. Sylveon was glaring at him like it was all Aiden's fault Moxy was feeling this way.

"Hey, just sleep it off. You'll feel a lot better tomorrow morning," Aiden said, reaching his hand out to Moxy's shoulder. Sylveon growled, but Moxy gestured her to stay calm.

"I should get going," he finally said.

"W-wait. You just got here! You have to tell me about your trip! Where did you go? What did you do?" Moxy gushed, any feelings of sadness replaced with her unsatisfied curiosity, "Who was that other girl who came inside with you guys? She looked important."

Aiden brought a finger up to his lips, "Shh. Relax. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"You're so lucky," Moxy pouted like a child while getting her legs underneath the bedsheets, "You get to get out and do all kinds of fun stuff. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here training and doing menial tasks."

Aiden raised an eyebrow, "Nobodies trapping you here. You can go out if you want."

Moxy gave him an unamused stare, "Yeah, I'm not stupid, Aiden. I know I'll get caught as soon as I set foot inside a city."

"Not every city."

Moxy tilted her head, but before she could get him to elaborate Aiden shook his head.

"I'm not saying another word. Except that I have a big surprise for you tomorrow."

"Give me a hint?" she asked rhetorically.

Aiden smiled and stood up, "Good night, Moxy."

"Good night," she sighed, and just like that Aiden was gone.

"Come in here, Sylvie," Moxy called, patting a spot between her feet. Sylveon quickly set her feelers along Moxy's legs and curled up into a ball. Moxy ran her hand through Sylveon's ruffled fur.

"Thank you for being here for me. Good night," Moxy whispered. She leaned forward and kissed Sylveon on the forehead. Her pokemon yawned happily, satisfied with her trainer's affection.

Moxy lay flat on the bed, and she winced when her back struck a loose spring in the bed.

'_By Arceus, this bed sucks,_' she fumed in her head. Her body ached from both her chores and the rock-hard bed. This was one of those times where she missed the orphanage simply for her comfortable mattress. She focused on Sylveon's deep purrs and the shuffling of cards, and fortunately, both put her to sleep.

* * *

The cold, night air nipped Moxy's senses to life. Waves crashed into the craggy bank far from her perch. She could taste the salt in the air, and bells chimed from the moored ships along the foggy docks. The girl overlooked the city from a lighthouse balcony, and her gloved hands gripped its railing tightly. She wore her Team Magma outfit, her hornless hood donned.

She was in Slateport City. As per its name, it was a city well known for its large port and oceanic endeavors. A place where merchants and sailors made a living by importing exotic wares from other regions. The cobblestone buildings and streets reminded her of Rustboro, but the dark sea that was Route 109 sent chills down the girl's spine.

The south wind raging through her hair, the inky expanse of the water, and the hazy void that was the horizon gnawed at her mind; If she were ever pulled into the abyss below, she would probably die from panic lest she didn't drown.

Suddenly, a shift in the wind caused the girl to spin. A tall man stood beside her, his forest green eyes gazing out into the ocean. His hands rested in the pockets of his thin, black trench coat, and his black hair swayed against the ocean breeze.

Instead of surprise, there was only an angry contortion on Moxy's face as she spoke, "What was so important that you had to be this late?"

Aiden nodded in satisfaction, "Your sixth sense is improving."

"You know how long I've been looking at the stupid water for?" she seethed, pulling up her sleeve to display her yellow watch to him, "Two hours!"

Aiden crossed his arms and leaned over the side of the rail, his expression unchanged as he looked out into the ocean, "You're going to need patience if you want to succeed in this job."

"What are we even doing here this early?!" she ranted with raised arms, "I'm trying to sleep at twelve, and all of a sudden you wake me in the middle of the night, drive me to Slateport, and tell me to wait in this lighthouse. And now, TWO HOURS later, you show up. I'm cold. I'm tired. I had half a mind to call it quits, but wait! You're my ride back to the base! Your 'guild' gave me quite the list of chores to do in the morning. Not to mention the hours of target and battle practice you had me do, which are completely unnecessary. Those grunts don't know the first thing about battling, and I'm certainly not carrying a gun with me. I am literally at my breaking point!"

Before she could say anything else, Aiden interrupted her with his soft voice, "Firstly, it's our 'guild'. Second, don't belittle your team members like that. They were never given the same training you received in the academy. And third, everything I teach you is completely necessary. It's important to be fluent in all types of trades, whether that be fighting off a horde of Skorupi with Sylveon or putting a bullet in one of them to save her. If you're stressed now, then just wait until we start getting into field tactics and communication."

Moxy sighed and slumped her head on the railing, "I'm… sorry. I'm just tired."

"C'mon. It's time." Aiden beckoned her inattentively before disappearing down the lighthouse ladder.

"Time? Time for what?! Wait up!" she exasperated before descending after him.

They ran through the city, cutting through alleyways and zig-zagging between the narrow cobblestone streets. On occasion, the moon would peek its cratered head before it was obscured once again by the clouds boring through the sky. The air was heavy with the smell of fish, and their clopping footsteps broke the silent night.

They reached a neighborhood of big houses that she thought cost way too much to live in. Farther from the port, this part of the city had much more flora.

However, the street to enter was closed off by an iron gate. A residential area separate from the city. Aiden went first, clasping his palms around the bars and climbing the gate as fast as a Chimchar. When he reached the pinnacle, he vaulted over the gate, making sure to lift his legs high as to not get his coat caught on the spikes at the top. His boots barely made a sound upon landing.

Moxy copied him. She climbed, albeit a little slower. When she landed, she had to steady herself from tipping over.

"Someone isn't following their diet," Aiden joked. Moxy glared daggers at him, but he just grinned like he won a bet against her.

Aiden motioned Moxy towards a dainty, two-story stone house located just a little way through the street. Unlike the rest of the upper-class houses, this one was smaller and much less intimidating. Lanterns were hanging from the roof of the porch, and a tiny, Sitrus berry tree grew in the tiny garden by the front stairs. She couldn't help smiling at the sight of such a well-tended place. Aiden peeked around the house, where a red sports car was parked in the stone driveway. There was an open window too, which Aiden pointed towards for Moxy.

"The reason we're here is to test you. I know it's a little early for a test, but I want to get a feel for your natural skills." Aiden spoke in a whisper, his green eyes darting towards each window.

"My skills as a thief," she clarified.

Aiden acknowledged her with a nod, "Before you go in, you will have a companion to help you with your test."

Moxy eyed the red and white pokeball Aiden pulled out from his coat. He crouched low before clicking the button in the middle.

The pokemon's green hair cascaded down to the shoulders of its pure-white tutu, and its slender, green legs crossed as it bowed courteously in greeting.

"This is Kirlia," Aiden continued, the Kirlia cooing as he stroked the back of its neck, "She won't get in the way."

Moxy was filled with adoration, and her voice involuntarily turned high-pitch, "Hey there. I'm Moxy," she greeted.

Kirlia sized her from head to toe, and one of her eyes were scrunched in disgust.

"Why is she looking at me like that?" Moxy asked Aiden, concerned with the Kirlia's reaction.

"Your first test is to steal something of value from that house without being caught," Aiden started, "Jewelry, a safe, anything that looks like it can be sold for a good price. Kirlia will help you, as well as make sure you don't cheat. Do you understand?"

Kirlia shared the same concerning look as her trainer, her red eyes awaiting a response from Moxy.

"Isn't this a little risky? It hasn't even been a week since the museum," Moxy muttered, still wary of Aiden's pet.

"Don't worry. The police are lax around here, so you shouldn't have too much trouble," Aiden assured.

"Well, o-okay then," she agreed hesitantly. With that, Aiden gave her a thumbs up.

Moxy crept towards the open window Aiden pointed to. She crouched low, trying her best not to alert anyone. Reaching the window, it looked like it led into a hallway. Moxy slid it open, slow enough to hear for creaking. Moxy glanced at her rear for Kirlia, but she wasn't there. Aiden had also disappeared from the street.

'_I guess it's just me__,'_ she sighed. As she faced the window, she was greeted by a pair of large red eyes barely an inch from her face. Moxy had to stifle her yelp as she stumbled onto the stone driveway, and her face turned as red as her hair. Kirlia was sitting along the windowsill, her legs flapping back and forth childishly as she brought her white, two-digit hands to her giggling mouth.

"Did Aiden put you up to that?!" she whispered angrily while peeking her head through the window to make sure no one had awoken.

Kirlia jumped down from the ledge, and the red horns on the sides of her head began to glow. She placed her hand on the middle of the driveway, and the air around that spot began to shimmer and distort.

"You better not use that unless we're in trouble," Moxy said, her eyebrows lowered. Kirlia just stayed silent, waiting for Moxy to do something. With a grimace, she opened the window and crawled through.

Her boots pressed against the smooth, beige carpet. Moxy scanned the hallway she had just entered. There were two, evenly spaced doors to her right, and a portrait of a woman hung on the left wall. Moxy examined the photo. The woman in the portrait wore a plain, black suit, her bright, wrinkled face smiling cheerfully next to a smug-looking Grovyle. It was nice to see how happy the two looked in the photo. Kirlia tugged her finger, rousing her from her stupor.

'_Okay, something valuable…_' she repeated a few times in her mind, continuing onward. Exiting the hallway, she was led into a living room connected to a kitchen. Everything she found was either worthless or too large to carry out. She dangled a seashell necklace between her fingers, a pained expression on her face when she thought of bringing it to Aiden. This woman was broke.

Moxy looked to the staircase tucked away at the corner of the room. She had hoped she could find something in the living room and avoid having to go upstairs. Alas, Moxy made her way to the carpeted stairs. She tried the first step. It began to creak and she immediately lifted it off. Moxy looked to Kirlia, but the pokemon was playing with her digits in ignorance.

Moxy skipped the first step. The wood railing kept her steady, and she sighed in relief when it made no noise. She continued this game of pick-and-choose until she reached the last step. Moxy looked behind her, and she was aghast when Kirlia simply used her telekinesis to float to the top.

Kirlia tilted her head as if wondering why Moxy took so long on something that was a piece of cake. A vein popped in Moxy's head. She wanted to kick Kirlia back down the staircase.

Moxy continued into another hallway with two doors. One door was shut tight. The other was open by just a crack. Moxy crept towards the open door, peeking from around the side. Her heart flared upon seeing a curvy lump snoozing under a large, blue blanket. She tiptoed towards the closed door.

With a hand on the knob, she twisted her wrist and began to open the second door with a delicate touch. About a quarter through she peeked inside. A dead silence rang throughout the dark bedroom, not even the slightest sound of breath making it to her ears. Opening it further caused the doors ungreased hinges to let out a high-pitched creak. Moxy gulped hard before swinging the door wide open, making the creak brief and silent. There was no response. Not one she could hear, anyways. Moxy crept inside with Kirlia at her heels.

Moonlight penetrated the clear glass of the single window at the other end of the room. A flashlight clicked in Moxy's hands as she assessed her whereabouts. There was a closet next to the window and a dresser that rested against the wall to her immediate right. Adjacent to the dresser was a clean, two-person bed.

Dust collected in front of her gloved finger as she ran it along the top of the dresser. There were a few dull-looking objects on it, but the one that caught her eye was a framed photo. The washed-out colors revealed the woman from the other pictures standing next to a kid smiling like he was about to explode with laughter. As Moxy pulled open the drawers, she found them filled to the brim with button-down shirts and slacks of various colors. Judging by their small size, it was likely they belonged to a boy or young man.

"I should just take all these clothes. You think Aiden wears tiny boxers under that trench coat?" Moxy whispered before her quip was reciprocated with a sting in her left leg. She winced, pointing her flashlight down to see Kirlia glaring unblinkingly at her. It would have been intimidating were it not for the pokemon's short and cute appearance. Just then, something glinted in the corner of Moxy's eyes.

"Score," the girl muttered. Kirlia's eyes lit up curiously as Moxy's hand extended past her to grab a gold ring that lay on the carpet floor beside the dresser's legs. After wiping the dust bunnies off, Moxy admired the emerald resting in its gold socket. Moxy slid the ring into her back pocket, a delighted smile plastered on her face.

Moxy knelt to meet Kirlia's height, "Is that good enough, boss?" she said quietly, slurring the last word in sarcasm. Kirlia just rolled her red eyes and pointed towards the window of the room. It took her a few seconds, but she managed to unfasten the windows lock.

"Tommy, is that you?" a light but elderly voice called from the other room, "When did you get back from your journey?"

Moxy's head rang with danger as she scrambled to open the window. However, it was too secure, and there wasn't much time until the woman would catch them. Moxy glanced at Kirlia, and her heart sank. The pokemon's eyes were shut as her red horns began to glow, the air around her shimmering like water.

'_No!_' Moxy thought. In a desperate attempt, she reached her arm out towards the pokemon, but after a snap of light, all she grabbed were the fragmental remains of the Teleport's residue. It felt like sharp confetti, and she gritted her teeth while balling the fragments in her palm, crushing them.

The footsteps drew closer, and with not a second to lose the girl dropped to the floor and rolled underneath the bed. A second later, lights in the hallway beamed through the open door, and she was met with a terrible sight.

Never has Moxy felt so threatened by a pair of Skitty slippers. Instead of bringing her joy, all its cute, cartoony face seemed to be good at doing was rattling her bones. Her heart thumped so hard she could hear it, and she covered her mouth as to not let out a slip of her heavy breathing.

"Tommy?" the woman called out through the darkness. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of Moxy's head as the woman's feet passed her a mere few inches. Moxy's nose inhaled a dust bunny, and her nose burned with an alarming sensation. Moxy pinched her nose, and her eyes began to water from trying to keep herself from sneezing.

The woman moved to the other side of the bed, and Moxy saw the woman's rough hand pick up a piece of the purple dust on the floor.

"This is the third damn Ralts," The lady grumbled. There was a moment where the woman stood there, most likely thinking to herself of what she needed to do to keep the green menaces from invading her home again.

"The window…" she sighed before stomping away. The room was once again swathed by the snug cloak of darkness as the woman closed the door behind her.

Moxy crawled out from under the bed as quickly as she could. She hurried towards the window again, using all her might to slide the glass pane open. The fresh nip of cold wind greeted her, and the girl began to scan the backyard. Kirlia's figure was revealed near the edge of the house, the pokemon simply admiring the woman's well-kept grass.

"Psst!" Moxy sounded. Kirlia jumped before making a casual turn towards the window where Moxy was. Her horns glowed bright, and Moxy held her hands out before her to see red energy envelop them. She could feel her body being tugged on by some sort of psychokinetic tether as she was pulled out into the freezing air. She descended slowly, and as soon as she felt the thin grass beneath her feet, the energy around her body dissipated into red beads.

Without a moment to lose, the two crept around the side of the house where the woman couldn't see them through a window. Moxy was expecting to find Aiden standing right where they parted. However, the street was dead silent, not a soul under the moonlight. She hurried down the street, and once she was out of the house's line of sight she whirled on Kirlia.

"What the hell was that?! Do you know how lucky we got back there?! If that lady didn't have a Ralts problem, I would have gotten caught!" she whispered loudly. Kirlia made an impudent snort and spun the other direction.

"Out of all the Ralts in Hoenn, Aiden had to catch the smarmiest, stupidest one," she grumbled.

"_Khetesse_!" Kirlia hissed from her teeth. Moxy was glad she didn't speak pokespeak because she would have kicked her teeth in had she understood. The two reached the iron gate again, and like before Moxy clambered up and over the gate. Obviously, Kirlia levitated over it, not a droplet of sweat on her.

They strolled down the cobblestone jungle that was the heart of Slateport. Kirlia led the way, albeit slower than Moxy would have liked. About a dozen, lifeless blocks later, they turned a corner.

To her surprise, there were quite a few people about, all hanging around the bright pokemon center across the street from her. Some sat directly along the wall of the center; most likely trainers unable to afford a room anywhere in the city. Their arms covered their tiny pokemon as they slept, shivering under the cold breeze.

The scene revealed something to her. It was an opportunity to look into a dark future that had come close to surpassing. Specifically, the future Ryker had warned her about. It reminded her of Sylveon, who was sleeping safe and sound in the base at the moment. And Moxy was happy she was there.

One of the last things she had told Walter was that everyone should experience a journey. While it was a good thing, in some retrospects it was also a bad thing. The cruel truth of life. Fate can ruin a person at any given moment, no matter how much they believe they'll become a hero. These trainers were unfortunate, and the same would most likely have happened to her. Thinking back, she had only said it in a desperate attempt to travel with Charles.

In her stupor, Moxy didn't realize Kirlia bouncing around joyously as they neared an alleyway. Before the girl had a chance to ask what was wrong, the pokemon had sprinted into the alleys inky darkness.

"Wait!" Moxy called out, stumbling after her.

Below a flickering lightbulb, there stood Aiden, his trench coat swaying against a breeze so convenient she thought it was planned. Kirlia hid behind one of his legs, and she gave Moxy a playful but ominous smile.

"So," Aiden started, his hands in his pockets as he walked out of the light, "You have something for me?"

"Yes, give me a second," Moxy walked up to him before reaching into her own pockets to pull out the ring.

It wasn't there.

Her heart skipped, and she frantically searched the rest of her pockets. Her mind flipped through the scenarios of the robbery. Entering the house, finding the ring, pocketing it, and then rolling under the bed. She gave herself a mental facepalm, knowing the ring probably fell when she was hiding from the lady.

"Um…" she tried to string out an apology or excuse, but Aiden's expressionless face fumbled her mind. Aiden drew his hand slowly out of his pocket, and Moxy froze in fear. She had failed. She shut her eyes and braced herself.

Nothing happened for an awkward amount of time, and she peeked out from one of her twitching eyes. Aiden's hand was held out in front of her, and there was a gold ring flat on his palm, its emerald glare reflecting into Moxy's green eyes.

Kirlia made what sounded like laughter, and the sides of Aiden's mouth creased into a smile, "Kirlia picked your pocket on the way here. I'm sorry about her behavior. She can be a bit of a prankster. Though, you could really learn something from her."

Relief washed over the girl, but it was quickly replaced by a fit of fiery anger directed at the Kirlia, "Learn something? The second we were in trouble, she just teleported away and left me to rot. I was lucky to get out of there! If-"

"As I said, you can learn a thing or two," Aiden cut off her ranting, "Escape should always be your first option in dire situations, no matter what. Did you have an escape plan, or did you wing it?"

Moxy thought back. She entered the house and saw a window on the top floor, but she didn't think about how hard it was to open. In hindsight, she should have tried that first before looking for jewelry. After all, she needed Kirlia's help to get out.

"I'm guessing you winged it," he finished her thoughts for her, "On the other hand, Kirlia created a teleport marker just in case. She created an escape route for herself, and only herself. And that is the second most important rule we have. Look out for yourself, and no one else. Not even me,"

Moxy wanted to protest, but she couldn't deny some of his points he'd laid out. Kirlia gave her a silent, wide-eyed stare, but the hint of her guile beneath made Moxy red hot.

"Well, you saved me when I needed it most," she countered, trying to ignore Kirlia.

"That's... different. Besides, who's to say I didn't have an agenda saving you?"

"I..." she stopped, lowering her eyebrows in confusion, "Did you?"

"It doesn't matter. Despite everything, you passed with flying colors. You did exactly what I told you."

Moxy's suspicions were washed away by her joy at hearing that. She succeeded. But, most importantly, she was done. Now she could go back to the base, see Sylveon, and take a nice, long-

"However," Aiden disrupted her musings, "that was just the first test. You have one more,"

"O-one more?" Moxy asked incredulously. Kirlia's horns began to glow, and she and Aiden began to ascend to the roof of the six-story building behind them, leaving Moxy gawking at them from the ground. Aiden gestured Moxy to follow, and the two disappeared from her view.

Moxy turned to see the fire escape that led to the roof, the ladders latches unhooked.

"I just want to go home," she expressed her exhaustion out loud before climbing up.

* * *

The ringing of a bell stripped Moxy of her sleep. She groaned while checking the clock at the far end of the sleeping quarters. It was eight in the morning.

"Ugh, I hate this," she complained before sitting upright in her bed. Moxy rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She didn't feel like getting up.

But she recalled her talk with Aiden, and all her fatigue vanished. He had something in store for her. A new mission? A new hideout?

"C'mon Sylvie!" she said excitedly, maybe a little too loud. The pokemon still laying in the bed was suddenly jolted awake. Sylveon's feelers flurried around her, and one of them smacked Moxy straight across the face.

"Ow!" Moxy groaned, rubbing the wound. The smack was surprisingly strong for a ribbon. Sylveon's eyes went wide, and she was quick to lick Moxy in apology.

Smiling, Moxy gave her a quick rub on the head before getting up and walking in the direction of the showers with Sylveon at her heels. The sleeping quarters were filled with other members prepping themselves for a new day. Moxy glanced behind her, and she saw Sylveon make wide arcs around the others, even when some tried to pet her. It seemed she still didn't trust any of them, even after the six months they'd been here. Moxy was disappointed, for she had hoped Sylveon would be just as friendly to them as she was around Charles or Espeon. Entering the shower area, she washed her face quickly and brushed her teeth. After she was finished, she headed out, and Moxy saw Aiden talking with another grunt by the exit.

"Aiden!" she called out. He was in the middle of saying something when he noticed her, and he gestured the grunt away.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he greeted with a smile, "Feeling better?"

Moxy nodded, "Yeah, I guess,"

Sylveon walked in between them and took a seat at Moxy's feet. Her feelers swayed above her like a quartet of Ekans, all pointed at Aiden.

"So," Aiden said, raising an eyebrow at the glaring pokemon, "Are you ready to go?"

Moxy grinned. She was finally going on a mission, "As in right now? I haven't had breakfast yet,"

"We'll eat on the way. Make sure you pack all your belongings and meet me at the front,"

'_Pack all my belongings?_' She tilted her head. Before she could ask him what he meant, Aiden turned away and disappeared into the bright tunnel.

Shrugging, Moxy made her way to the locker room. Pokemon weren't allowed inside the locker room, so Moxy ordered Sylveon to wait outside before entering. Her square locker, 4343, was among the numerous lockers lined against the walls of the rectangular room.

Upon unlatching the rusty lock, light peeked inside, and it was filled to the brim with things she had garnered over her time there. Mostly trivial things like souvenirs or old electronics she no longer used but still held enough memorable or monetary value to hoard. She rummaged through the mess and took out the more important things: a high-tech wristwatch, a compass, and a dusty old journal.

In the back of the darkness of her locker, she found a tiny, white box. Hesitantly, she pulled it out and opened it. A thin, gold bracelet rested upon a velvet cushion. It was the one Charles had given her for her birthday. Like clockwork, her mind drifted back in time. The orphanage, the fights, the storm, the events of her horrible day toppling over each other like dominoes and ultimately leading to her affiliation with Team Magma.

Moxy tossed it back inside furiously, and it collided with some junk near the back. She placed a finger on her temple. It pained her to think about him. She wondered if she was doing the right thing leaving him behind instead of trying to fight her case in a courthouse. She looked back inside the locker, and a glint of light caught the edge of her vision. The silver exterior of the object in question reflected off the buzzing, fluorescent lights above her.

Moxy was once again entranced by the beautiful silver necklace she'd stolen from the antiquities store. Before she entered Team Magma, she had to take off all her jewelry and give it to an electronics technician to be checked for hidden trackers or microphones. There was no point in wearing it afterward; she never left the base, and jewelry got in the way of her training. She completely forgot about it.

And for good reason. The necklace had ruined her life, in some aspects. If she never went out that night, she would be probably be sipping Tapu Cocoa's in a pokemon center with Charles right now.

She pulled it out, the etches in the silver smooth as she examined it. Her face saddened. She couldn't deny it's tantalizing beauty. She wrapped it around her neck. As soon as she linked the necklace, she felt a cold breeze touch her face. She thought she could make out a faint whisper, and she looked at the door leading outside. No one was there.

Dismissing it, she walked up to a dusty mirror on the left side of the lockers. A frown appeared on her face when she noticed her thighs looked a little bigger than normal. She was getting a little too comfortable eating pizza every day. But she looked at the necklace hanging from her neck, and her rosy smile came crawling back. She was gorgeous.

'_I guess it's worth something at least,_" she thought before turning around and shutting her locker.

Leaving the room, she found Sylveon sitting directly in front of the door. She bounded to her feet upon seeing Moxy, and her bunny-like ears were raised high. Sylveon began to lead Moxy to the tunnel, her feet moving too quick for Moxy to keep up.

When they reached the tunnel, she and her pokemon stopped and stared deep into its inky darkness. The lights in the tunnel were mysteriously shut off, and the lack of their constant buzzing sound made it easier for her to hear an ominous echo of plinking water. Sylveon looked back and forth between the tunnel and Moxy, unsure what her trainer wanted to do.

Moxy stopped one of the grunts walking around, "Weren't those on a few minutes ago?" she asked him, pointing to the tunnel lights. His eyes seemed to be unfocused like he was more interested in the steel bolts on the floor rather than her.

"Yeah."

Moxy nodded and waited for him to continue explaining. However, the grunt just stood there awkwardly, unsure what else to say.

"Um, right," she smiled sheepishly, and before she could thank him, the grunt just trudged off as if their conversation never happened. With a frown, Moxy pulled a flashlight from her utility belt and clicked it on. Its small lense cast a tiny light that desperately tried to penetrate the pitch-black.

Moxy shrugged. Some light was better than no light. With a nod, Sylveon reluctantly followed her inside, opting to stay behind Moxy rather than in front. About halfway through the dark tunnel, they discovered the same man who patrolled the base the previous night. A gloomy lantern hung in his hand and his face was buried in an electrical control box while he muttered angrily to himself. Moxy had to look twice to see the dark form of his Mightyena slumped beside him, the darkness shrouding it perfectly.

As Moxy walked past them, the Mightyena's snout twitched. Suddenly, its red eyes shot wide-open, and it jumped to its feet before barking at the girl and her pokemon, startling everyone present.

"Easy there, she's a friendly!" the man sputtered, shooting his hand onto his pokemon's scruff. He seemed to be physically straining to keep his grip as the Mightyena growled through a scary row of ivory fangs.

"Is everything okay with him?" she asked, taking a step back from the berserk dog. Her hand felt around her chest pocket, and she was relieved but confused when her fingers rimmed at the edges of her Team Magma ID card inside. It was supposed to have a distinct scent that canine pokemon could detect and tell she was friendly, or at least that's what she understood when Aiden explained it.

The man squinted his eyes from the bright flashlight pointed at his face, "He should be. He seemed fine with you yesterda- Woah!" his Mightyena lurched forward, and the man almost lost his balance. His strength was surprising to Moxy. Sylveon quickly jumped in front of Moxy, her feelers outstretched while she barked back a retort.

The man pulled on Mightyena's scruff hard enough that the pokemon let out a pained whimper, "Stop it! That's one of ours! Keep that up and it's back in the ball!"

Moxy made a wide arc around it, Sylveon still in between them. Once they were a considerable distance away, she and Sylveon footed it around the next corner.

Her eyes had to adjust to the bright lights in the main room ahead. Like clockwork, the grunts were working. Coffee trays littered the desks where some grunts analyzed graphs and data on their computer screens. Others were cleaning or talking with their comrades. There was a breeze from the open entryway that led out of the base, and it was much more refreshing than the ventilation in the cave. Aiden stood in front of it, where he and two other grunts conversed in hushed tones.

Aiden saw Moxy, and he waved in her direction.

And his eyes suddenly widened in terror, "BEHIND YOU!"

Moxy spun around, and her heart swam up to her throat. A quadruped silhouette lashed out at the girl with cruel claws, its red glare piercing through the darkness.

The heavy beast immediately floored Moxy, its four legs keeping her pinned to the metal surface as it unhinged its wide, salivating maw. Its razor-sharp fangs sunk into her without warning and her head lurched forward from the pain that erupted in her left shoulder.

"AHHHHHH!" her high-pitched scream filled the air, and she punched the hulking beast in a desperate attempt to get it off her, with minuscule success.

In an instant, the creature was tackled off Moxy's body by a form enveloped in a pink glow. However, as it was pushed off, she heard fabric being torn apart, and a sharp pain emanated from her stomach.

"Oh no..." she muttered upon seeing a clawed perforation in her shirt. Blood was beginning to gush out of her stomach like a well of water, and she clutched her wound to stop the bleeding. However, the blood seeped through her fingers. She could feel her life force draining, and the warm liquid from her cold wounds soaked her hair.

She turned her head and saw Sylveon standing beside her, barking wildly at the Mightyena from the tunnel. The beast's black fur was singing with pink smoke as it wobbled onto its feet. Blood dripped from its bared fangs, and its hostile glare was focused on Moxy's feeble form rather than her protector.

Moxy tried to give Sylveon an order, but she coughed up blood instead. The Mightyena howled before dashing towards them, its fangs glowing white. Sylveon shaped her feelers into an X-like pattern, patiently awaiting the attack.

It was about halfway towards them when the temperature in the tunnel suddenly dropped. A blast of icy wind whooshed right over Moxy and smacked the Mightyena straight in its chest. Bits of frost and snow were speckled on its black mane as it dropped low to endure the wind. It tried to get up again, but a hovering, black sphere zoomed at it. The sphere had a pair of deep-blue eyes, and a clear layer of ice enveloped its body like armor. The sphere opened its exposed teeth, and Mightyena yelped as another blast of wind struck it from every angle.

When the Glalie was finished, all that was left was a frozen heap of black fur.

In an instant, Sylveon ran up to her trainer's side. Her breathing was rapid as she placed her trembling paws on Moxy's stomach wound, and their pink hue turned blood-red.

"You were s-spectacular Sy-" Moxy coughed again before she could finish. Sylveon cried softly. She pressed her forehead onto her trainer's face, and a tear dropped onto Moxy's cheek.

Just then, Aiden and a grunt appeared over Moxy's body. Sylveon whined desperately as if she were begging him to fix her.

"Here Glalie!" Aiden's voice called out to his pokemon. Glalie's obsidian ears crinkled before redirecting its emotionless gaze onto Moxy, and a cloud of frost exuded from its chattering teeth.

"Stop standing around and get me a medic! Right now!" Aiden yelled at the crowd by the tunnel entrance. Sylveon moved back, allowing Aiden to do his work. He dropped to his knees and pressed his hands on her stomach wound. Moxy's vision blurred momentarily, and she let out a weak groan.

Aiden lightly slapped her cheek a few times, "Stay with me! You're going to be fine, just hold on,"

Out of the corner of her eye, Moxy saw the man from inside turn the corner. He was clutching the side of his head in pain. In a matter of a second, his face went from pained to horrified as he stared at his unconscious Mightyena and Moxy.

"Oh, gods. What happened?" he whispered, his mouth hidden behind his palm.

"Glalie, we need to cauterize these wounds. Use Frost Breath on the cut," Aiden ordered the Glalie who had just reached them. Glalie inhaled deeply, and Aiden shot one of his blood-soaked hands out in front of his pokemon.

"Slowly," he added with lowered eyebrows.

Grumbling, the Glalie let loose a narrow stream of white smoke from its vent-like teeth. It seeped towards Moxy's stomach wound, and Aiden moved Moxy's hands away. Her entire body stiffened up as the icy breath froze her blood.

"R-relax. Everythings going to be fine," Aiden tried to comfort, but his shaky voice betrayed his words. Moxy noticed his knees buckle for a second. Soon her stomach wound became numb, and the Glalie diverted its breath onto her shoulder this time. She was forced to turn her head from the tiny shards of ice peppering her cheek. After both wounds were treated, Moxy tried to move, but her body still wouldn't obey. An enormous amount of fatigue gripped her.

"She's lost a lot of blood. Where the hell is that doctor?!" Aiden yelled, his voice sounding like it was miles away.

Moxy heard wheels racketing along the metal floor, and soon a gurney was beside her. A worried Sylveon wrapped one of her feelers around her trainer's hand and clutched hard.

Suddenly, her breaths drew short and quick, and darkness licked the edge of her vision. She reached out a pale hand to Aiden.

"I d-don't want to go," she stammered between teeth-chattering coldness and hyperventilation, "p-please don't l-let me… go…"

She could barely make out the faint voices of Aiden screaming for her to wake up and the cries of Sylveon as her vision collapsed into nothing.

* * *

"Ugh. This is taking too long," Moxy complained. The moon was a ghastly-haze behind the translucent clouds, and the sounds of occasional Wingull squawks made the salty air feel ominous.

Moxy and Aiden were stationed on a flat roof of one of the smaller apartments overlooking a narrow alleyway. The girl checked her watch again, and it was about four o'clock in the morning. Her eyes carried dark bags from sleeplessness, and she was tapping her fingers against the balcony impatiently.

"You need to learn to enjoy the moment. Just relax…" Aiden trailed off as he took a sip of coffee. The words 'Sippin' Slurpuff's' was printed on the side of his to-go cup. Moxy took her cup on the balcony edge and held it up to her mouth. However, only a few dribblets of the bitter coffee touched her tongue.

"Yeah, because I'm totally enjoying standing around here at four in the morning just so we can ambush someone," she huffed while tossing the cup behind her. Her hands trembled, and she told herself it was from the caffeine rather than her crippling anxiety. She had a looming feeling that she shouldn't be here, and she wanted to just get up and leave.

Another five minutes of silence passed. To her dread, a man in a tuxedo had entered the alley. She assumed Aiden would tell her its time, but fortunately, he just watched him go by.

"Trick question," Aiden started suddenly, "Why didn't we mug the person who just passed through?"

"Because he was dangerous?" she tried.

"Yes, but there is more to it. Give me a quick profile," he asked.

Moxy thought harder, "Well, he was wearing a suit. That means he's wealthy. And rich means resources. A person like him wouldn't just walk through an alley if he could avoid it, especially this late at night. So, he would have been prepared. He was also alert, too, so it would be difficult for us to surprise him."

Aiden gave her a good look before responding, "Very good assessment. He also had four pokeballs clipped under his suit if you noticed. What was the first rule I told you when you started?"

"Pick your battles. Never fight an enemy who is more than a match," she copied word-for-word what he'd said during their first training session.

He nodded before turning to look back down at the alleyway, and Moxy followed his gaze. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. Despite her keen observations, she couldn't identify the root of her anxiety. It was the same old nab and bag. However, taking something from someone's home and taking something from someone by force were mutually exclusive. And she was far from being an intimidating person.

"You'll be fine," Aiden sensed her worriment, "Kirlia will be down there to back you up. Now, do you still have it where I told you to put it?"

Moxy frowned as she clicked open a holster on the side of her belt and pulled out a small, black pistol. Its glossy exterior reflected against the moon, and it felt alien as it laid in her palm.

"This is another thing I don't understand. Why do I need a gun if I have a pokemon?"

"Kirlia's probably going to hide until things go south," he explained, his eyes trained on the gun, "This isn't about efficiency. It's a test that you should be able to do things without the help of your partners. I need to know you can take care of yourself, and if you have the guts to do what's necessary,"

He went back to his watch, and that's when the shadow of a tall figure was thrown against the side of the cobblestone building across theirs. The man who entered had his hands buried in the pockets of his red and yellow jumpsuit. A single pokeball hung to his side, and Moxy noticed he was constantly correcting the direction he was walking in. Aiden had also caught on to this because he gave her a nod.

"Don't be anxious," Aiden spoke quickly, "I know you can do this. You just need to believe in yourself. Speak deep from your throat, project your voice, and act like you have nothing to lose. Pretend this guy hurts Buneary's for a living if you have to. Are you ready?"

Moxy gave him a tiny nod. A lie of an acknowledgment. She was most definitely not prepared for this.

Aiden motioned Kirlia who was silently waiting behind them. The pokemon's horns glowed, and Moxy could no longer feel the floor she stood on. Kirlia used her telekinesis to lift her and Moxy into the air, and slowly they began to descend right behind the man.

He was tall, like Aiden, and lush, golden bristles stuck out from behind the red cap he sported. As they got closer, she'd realized this man was much bigger than suggested, and she doubted her gun would do anything to him. She could even see the little nubs where his back muscles showed through his jacket.

As soon as they landed, Moxy lifted the gun and pointed it at the man. Kirlia quickly hid behind a dumpster, her twiggy legs making no noise. Moxy imagined the man had long, green hair and a slender body, like Janice. Instead of making her more hardy, it just made her cringe.

"Put your hands up," she ordered with as much confidence as she could muster. Her heart sank upon hearing her coarse, high-pitched voice. To her dismay, the man walked on as if she weren't there.

"I said. Hands. Up," She repeated, deeply this time, while cocking her pistol, its loud sound the more intimidating factor. Gladly, it was enough to make the man stop. However, instead of following her orders, he simply turned to face her. His jaw was deep and profound, and there wasn't the slightest bit of fear behind his narrow, turquoise eyes.

'_Of all the people…_' she thought, gulping hard while she kept her head down, "Empty your pockets or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" he interrupted her, his sardonic voice irritating Moxy more than intimidating her. The man raised his head as he stared down the tiny girl, his hands never leaving his pockets.

"Are you blind? I'll s-shoot you, idiot!" she stammered, and she silently cursed herself for that. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of her head as she turned off the safety trigger, and the gun began to clack under her trembling fingers.

The man chuckled before taking a single, slow step forward, "I don't think you've got the guts to do it."

Moxy clicked her tongue in annoyance before clasping her left palm under the grip of the gun.

"Just drop your crap on the floor, and I'll let you leave unharmed,"

For a second, the man's eyes seemed to glow, and his wide mouth curled into an amusing smirk.

"I have a better idea."

Like a gunman doing a quickdraw, his hand flew out of his pocket. A tiny, black, and yellow ball had begun to enlarge in his palm. However, before he had a chance to let out who or whatever was inside, two black-as-night tendrils shot out from around the corner of the dumpster. They zipped around the man's legs and arms until reaching his hand, where the shadow twisted around the man's finger.

"ARRGH!" he exasperated in pain, his finger unable to click the release. He tried to move, but the shadow tightened around his body.

Moxy turned around to see Kirlia standing completely still, the moon casting her overly-extended shadow towards the infuriated trainer. A vein stuck out of her right temple, and she glanced at Moxy with straining eyes as if telling her to make a move already.

Moxy ran up to the trainer, cramming the gun in the back of her tight slacks before rifling through his back pocket. She pulled out his phone and wallet, and after she had opened his wallet, she dangled a measly four dollars between her fingers.

'_This guy is broke_,' Moxy made a short scoff, and the man shot her a teeth-gritting glare.

Suddenly, his ultraball began to vibrate violently. In unexpected haste, Kirlia sent out another tendril that fastened around the ball to keep it from opening. A distressed whimper left Kirlia's mouth and she was brought down to one knee.

"That little shit is at its breaking point," the man threatened with a shaking voice, "And when I get out of here, you're both dead!"

Moxy gulped as she immediately pocketed the wallet and phone. A small part of her wanted to pull her gun back out. Shoot him in the leg and escape. But her hand disobeyed her command. There were consequences, and if the man bled out, she didn't know if she could live with it. Even though he was a total jackass.

Moxy took a few steps back. She looked at Kirlia and shook her head quickly.

"_Kheerrr_..." Kirlia growled, her face displaying anger like she lost any semblance of respect for Moxy.

Within a span of a second, Moxy and Kirlia sprinted the opposite way of the alley as fast as they could, with the latter floating. With the Shadow Sneak broken, the man flung his uncontrollable ultraball straight towards the duo like a baseball pitcher. Multi-colored light exploded behind her, and a metallic voice beeped like an angry alarm. Moxy turned her head to see her pursuer. The pokemon's three eyeball-heads buzzed to life, its line of sight fixated on Moxy as it chased her and Kirlia down the alley at an alarming speed.

"Thunderbolt!" the man ordered his pokemon. The Magneton's middle screw head sparked with yellow energy, and Moxy heard the reverberating pulse of it charging.

"Turn!" Moxy yelled, seizing Kirlia and pulling her into her chest before pivoting her heel into an intersecting alleyway. A torrent of electricity flew past her, the shockwave of its cracking impact created a breeze behind her. Around them, lights from buildings began to switch on, and citizens were looking through their windows in surprise and fear.

Another turn later, she had come across an open marketplace overlooking the dark, frothing ocean. Wooden stalls of all sorts stood peacefully to her left and right.

Magneton beeped in repeated succession as it zoomed after them. Moxy dived to the side as the robot flew past her. Its momentum caused it to smash into the berry stand with a clinking sound. Pecha and Cheri berries exploded into the air, and Magneton rag-dolled over the metal fence that bordered the market. Moxy cheered in her mind, thankful the Magneton couldn't control its flight. She stood up and continued running away. She awaited the dunking sound of Magneton's body hitting the water, but it never came. In a stroke of curiosity, she turned her head towards the pokemons pitfall, and she instantly regretted it.

The moon reflected along Magneton's silvery body as it hovered over the edge, electricity charging in its spinning magnets. It rose into the air, and Moxy wasted no second. With Kirlia still hanging desperately in her arms, she zigzagged around the multiple market stands while Thunderbolts struck her immediate vicinity like lightning gone awry. Any stalls unfortunate to be in her path burst into flames, and shards of splinters exploded all around her.

"I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOUR BONES UNDER MY BOOTS," the angry trainer's voice penetrated the sounds of destruction in the marketplace.

'_All for a damn wallet,_' Moxy thought. Suddenly, Kirlia climbed Moxy's chest and looked behind them. One startled yelp later, and red energy encased Moxy's body.

"Woah!" Moxy yelled. She became weightless, and she could no longer feel the ground. A ring of red, blue, and yellow orbs whizzed underneath her feet before colliding with another stall in a spectacular explosion. She did her best to shield her eyes, but with Kirlia in her arms, she was forced to endure the hot wind and splinters that struck her face.

Emerging out of the cloud of smoke, she sailed through the air and over the carcass of the poor, wooden stall that was blown to smithereens. Kirlia's horns grew brighter, and Moxy involuntarily spun around in mid-air. Kirlia's irises turned purple, and three ghastly orbs formed in front of her before she fired them off at the Magneton.

The Confuse Ray traveled in a straight line at the Magneton, but its three heads came apart before the move could collide. Magneton whirred angrily as its heads locked back together, and its magnets spun rapidly before it discharged another Tri-Attack. Moxy was bug-eyed as the volley of multi-colored orbs barreled towards her. Since she was restrained by Kirlia's Psychic, she couldn't move out of the way, which made they're advancing ever the more menacing.

Luckily, Moxy gravitated downwards, and the ring of energy grazed the top of her hood. Kirlia used her telekinesis to turn them both back the way they were running, and the two glided slowly down to ground level. As soon as Moxy's feet touched the cobblestone floor, the red energy dispersed off her body, and her legs found movement once again. Kirlia made tiny wheezes, and she tightened her clutch around Moxy's arms.

A large archway was up ahead, signifying the exit. Beyond that, she saw a manhole that led into the sewer's underneath Slateport.

"There!" she told Kirlia. However, the second she passed through the archway, a Thunderbolt struck the stone blocks directly beneath her, cratering it and blowing her clear of the blast.

She felt a sharp pain in her elbow as she tumbled down the street while tucking Kirlia tightly in her arms. Her ears rang, and her vision was fuzzy as she looked down to make sure the little pokemon was okay. Kirlia gave Moxy a weak look, and her body began to distort.

"No! Don't you dare leave me again!" Moxy yelled, her grip on the pokemon tightening as to keep her from escaping, but it was all for naught. Kirlia snapped from existence, and Moxy's arms wisped through the thousands of glittering shards scattered before her.

No measure of disappointment would live up to yet another betrayal. Again, Moxy found herself questioning Aiden's logic; Kirlia saved her own hide rather than staying to fight.

The humming of electromagnetism behind her sent a shiver down her spine, and she used all her might to get up. Looking over her shoulder, she saw two dark silhouettes loom over her. She pulled her gun out, but a bolt of electricity blasted the gun with Braviary-like accuracy. It clattered to the ground, charred beyond belief. Moxy clutched her seared hand in pain, and her breath rasped short as she tried to escape. However, the Magnezone flew overhead and blocked her only escape with outstretched magnets, a dangerous buzz emitting out of its body.

"I'm sorr- ACK!" Moxy was interrupted when the trainer gripped his large, burly fingers around her throat, his facial expression enough to bring an Ursaring to its knees. She gasped for air, and her attempts at clawing his face were unsuccessful.

"Looks like your own pokemon decided to ditch you," he ridiculed, and his mouth was close enough that she almost threw up upon smelling the alcohol in his breath, "What a pathetic trainer. No wonder you resorted to stealing,"

Her response was to kick him in the shin as hard as possible. His face contorted in pain for a second, but in the end, all her kick did was make him angrier.

"Electrocute this bitch," he scowled, letting go of her throat. Without warning, the man shoved her frail body backward. The back of her skull banged against Magneton's solid-steel body, and before she could coddle her bruise, two of Magneton's six magnets clasped her arms. She gritted her teeth, her bones locking up to the Magneton's powerful electric attack.

The white sparks lit up the man's obsessed gaze, "More power,"

As he finished, the Magneton's humming grew louder, and her body went limp. Her ears rumbled with the sound of static electricity from the Thunder Wave, and her eyeballs wanted to pop out of their sockets. She opened her mouth to scream, but all she could make was a pitiful whimper. Moxy tried to think of a way to break free, but between her baking brain and the red and white flashes pulsing in her vision, it was in vain.

Suddenly, the flashes of electricity stopped. Her dead nerves couldn't feel the Magneton letting go of her body as she crumpled to the floor. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the robotic pokemon flailing its magnets all over the place while beeping erratically.

"What the hell!?" the man yelled, his once gleeful face now plastered with surprise as he ran to his pokemon to calm it down. A white figure ran up to Moxy, and the side of her head trickled with blood from an open gash. Kirlia rummaged into one of Moxy's side pouches and yanked out a yellow spray-bottle. Shockingly, the pokemon was able to spray the bottle using both of her hands.

"Confuse Ray," Moxy stretched out her once-paralyzed jaw, "One of your parents must have been part of the Duskull line. Explains how you can use a variety of ghost type moves while being such a young pokemon. Or maybe Aiden is just that good of a teacher."

Kirlia was silent as she hurried to finish treating Moxy's paralysis. Behind them, the trainer had already calmed down his Magneton, and their eyes were now fixed on Moxy.

"Blow them to pieces, you stupid robot!" he seethed, conking Magneton on the back of its top head. The Magneton hastily created a cluster of gray orbs from its rotating magnets before unleashing them at the duo. Moxy tried to move, but her legs were still paralyzed. Kirlia dropped the aerosol canister, and her palms shot out in front of her as a transparent, dome barrier materialized around them. The orbs latched onto the shield one by one before exploding in a cloud of smoke, and Kirlia's discomfort was made visible with each strike.

"Tag me with your teleportation marker!" Moxy shrilled through the deafening assault, enough for Kirlia to hear, "Quickly, before the smoke goes away!"

Kirlia red eyes darted at Moxy, her doubtful expression turning sour as her shield tanked another Magnet Bomb.

"Trust me."

As soon as the barrage grew silent, the dome shield fizzled out as Kirlia brought her palms to Moxy's right arm. A touch later and her forearm took on a mirror-like affinity. The girl hid her arm behind her back.

"Now get the Magneton's attention and run for the edge. Go!" she finished. Kirlia gave her a quick nod, and as soon as the smoke dispersed Kirlia's body began to shimmer and distort. About ten clones of itself instantly materialized all over Moxy's side of the street, like an army of ballerinas.

Another smirk crept along the man's face, "Double Team isn't going to help you. Magnet Bomb, again!"

As soon as those last words left his mouth, the squad of Kirlia's broke into different directions. It was a massacre as the Magnet Bombs latched onto the clones. When they exploded, the clones figure fizzled out like a reflection in the water. The other trainer was already approaching her when she shielded her eyes from the debris using her left arm.

"You're starting to irritate me. Screw the cops. I'll let them clean the mess after I paint this street with your blood."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!", Moxy screamed, "Can't you see all the destruction you're causing? And for a wallet! It's completely pointless!"

"Whatever, my father already pays the city thousands in renovations. Plus, you assaulted me first, at gunpoint. Who do you think the judge is going to believe? Me or some lowlife?"

'_It's official. I must have the worst luck ever to run into this psychopath,'_

To her side, she saw the last of the Kirlia clones evaporate. One ear-splitting boom later, and a final Magnet Bomb exploded into the real Kirlia. She skidded across the ground and landed at the edge of the ocean. The right side of her body was covered in soot, and her skirt was frayed at the edges. Stumbling to her tiny feet, she created a disproportionate purple orb and shot it desperately at Magneton's direction. The robot curved around the attack with ease as it continued to barrel towards her, its body igniting with yellow sparks. With an anguished cry, Kirlia dove for the ocean. Moxy could see her floating wobbly just above the surface of the water.

"Don't let it get away!" the man yelled. Magneton used its bottom magnets to levitate off the edge, its body still charging with electricity as it gave chase.

The man reached his hands for Moxy's face again, but the girl threw her right arm out. Its reflective properties made him hesitate before his face twisted in fear. He looked out to the dark ocean, the color draining from his face as his Magneton was still giving chase a few yards out. It zapped Kirlia, but she just poofed into nonexistence.

Kirlia's form immediately resurged on top of Moxy's arm. Kirlia trembled, and Moxy wasn't sure if it was in anger or pain. The man stared at them in bewilderment.

"You really are an idiot, you know that?" Moxy deadpanned. His eyebrows narrowed, but before he could retort Kirlia let loose a purple orb at the man. The orb broke into several smaller orbs, and they danced around him eerily before fizzling out into nothing. He stumbled a little, but nothing else followed.

"Again!" Moxy ordered. Kirlia let out a weak cry as she shot him with another Confuse Ray. This time, the trainer's gaze trailed off to the side. Moxy shoved Kirlia, causing her to hiccup a final Confuse Ray at the man.

"Everythings... dizzy," he muttered while wobbling about in his spot. He immediately drew his hands up to his puffed-up mouth.

"Ugh that's gross," Moxy grimaced as the man regurgitated his dinner all over the cobblestone surface. She had to shimmy backward, lest his pooling vomit touched her paralyzed legs.

"I'm…gonna…get…urg," a drop of vomit dripped from his mouth before he collapsed to the floor with a satisfying thump.

"Take Magneton's pokeball out of his pocket," Moxy said, putting Kirlia down gently from her perch on her arm. The pokemon tottered beside the trainer as she fished around his pocket. Kirlia was panting heavily, and her knees buckled. Moxy hoped the medics back at the base would be able to patch her up. The yellow and black ball gleamed under the moonlight, and Kirlia tossed it to Moxy.

Suddenly, Magneton appeared from the side, its body humming with electricity. Kirlia tried to create another shield, but her small arms trembled weakly instead. Energy churned between Magneton's magnets, forming a sparking ball of electricity. However, before it had a chance to hurl it, the pokemon was swathed in red, beaming light. The sphere of electricity dissolved onto the cobblestone floor.

Moxy sighed before tossing the ball towards the man.

"What a nightmare…" she spoke her thoughts out loud.

Her head pulsated, and an uncomfortable feeling welled inside her gut. Moxy tried to bring herself to her feet, but her legs still wouldn't budge.

"Right…" she remembered, reaching for the Full Heal beside her. She pulled her pant legs up, revealing her ankle, and she began to spray it. Her head throbbed again, this time a little more painfully.

"Thank you for coming back for me Kirlia," Moxy started, "Do you know if-" she stopped. The green-haired ballerina was nowhere to be seen.

"Kirlia? Where are you?" Moxy spoke a little louder, and she spun around to locate the pokemon, "If you're playing another prank on me, I swear to Arceus I'm going to-"

She was cut off when she couldn't find the trainer's unconscious body either.

_THUD_

Moxy swiveled around to see the manhole clang like something was trying to escape from it. Around her, the towering buildings melted into a gray ooze. The manhole thudded again, and this time purple smoke spewed from its opening.

Moxy tried to get up, but her legs wouldn't obey her. She sprayed again, but the bottle began to spew the same stuff coming out of the manhole, and she fearfully tossed it aside.

'_A prank, no. A nightmare, on the other hand…' _A hollow voice rang out in her head, and her skull felt like it was being scraped from the inside.

'_Not again,'_ Moxy thought before covering her mouth to cough. Blood had soaked her now sickly, white palm, and she could taste the saltiness on her tongue.

'_What's the matter? We had such fun the last time.'_ The voice said with a disappointed tone. Moxy would have felt bad were it not for the other three voices that spoke in unison.

Moxy hit herself on the head, trying to force herself out of the nightmare.

'_A useless effort. The state you're in, you couldn't even wake up if you wanted to._'

"What do you mean?" As she said that her mind flared with images. An angry, black beast charging towards her. A pink pokemon over her body, almost like it was protecting her. A sharp pain erupted in her belly and shoulder, and she toppled onto her side while clutching her wounds.

The manhole burst into the air, and the smoke spewing from it unleashed into the melting world surrounding her. No longer were the moon or clouds in sight. Only a void of black stretching along what used to be the sky. The purple smoke coalesced, forming an eerie visage consisting of two punched-in holes and a monstrous mouth.

It finally clicked in her head, "I… I remember now. The Mightyena was acting so strangely… but it was you! You made the pokemon attack me! Why!?"

The tower of smoke bellowed in a low-pitch, its demonic voice changing to how an unruly king might sound. Imposing and fierce with a hint of guile, '_A warning__. To show you that you cannot possibly escape my endless influence. I infused your aura with my energy so that all who are sinister can sense my presence in you. Like a virus to be eradicated.'_

_'Aiden said the patrolling pokemon would attack me if I were an intruder,_' she thought before speaking up, "You've possessed me somehow to aggravate the Mightyena. But why? Are you so infatuated with my suffering? Do you want me dead?! Then just do it! I'd rather die than suffer any more!"

As soon as Moxy finished she began to regret those words. She instinctively brought her arm up, awaiting whatever pain the demon wished to inflict on her.

'_Try again,'_ it boomed.

"Urf," Moxy whimpered in fright, "just why are you doing this to me?"

_'To remedy your... agitation, the reason is but a simple task __you must accomplish__. If you seek to stop this suffering, you must release my spirit from my tomb__.'_

"Release you?" her eyebrows narrowed, "Why should I let an evil asshole like you out of wherever you're trapped?" she was surprised at her sudden adamancy.

'_Because you and I are products of a cruel world. A world that's strewn us aside without so much as a glance. I can feel it. Resonating deep within your soul, like I've felt the first time we met. That feeling is vengeance. And you should embrace it, as I do. __At this moment, your soul is desperately clutching to your mortal, fragile body. Soon you will fade into an eternal slumber. So, as you ask 'why release me?', I will ask, 'do you value your pathetic life?'_

"I..." she was speechless.

_'__Nobody will remember you. Nobody will care about you. Nobody but me. And now, at the gate between life and death, I alone am granting you a second chance.'_

"But you took my li-"

_'It's all the same,'_ the voice grew infuriated, each word spelled out to Moxy like she was a child, 'My_ realm abandons any notions of civil law. It. Is. Simple. I, the predator, have you, the prey, in my grasp. Do you wish to live a full life, or die a short one? That is my reasoning. And i__f that isn't a good enough reason, then…'_

The smoke howled like a storm before unleashing its gusty breath towards Moxy. Its purple wind swirled around her, and she felt her red hair rise from the gale.

'_I will simply find a new host to will. After I've reduced your mind to dust! Now, make your choice!'_

The tornado seemed to get smaller and smaller as it closed in on her. Moxy covered her eyes with her arms, and a blade of wind managed to graze her cheek. She could feel the stinging pain on her face, and she rubbed the area to find her fingers dribbled with blood. It didn't matter now that this was all a dream. If what it was saying was true, then she was most likely never going to wake up again.

"Okay! Okay!" she called out, any form of calmness fading from teary-eyes, "I'll help you! Just tell me where to go and I'll do it!"

The raging wind ceded at that moment. The cloud opened its mouth, and its long, ghastly tongue carpeted out towards the girl. The tip seemingly drooped to Moxy's level, and her eyebrows raised in question. A layer of smoke formed above it, creating a lavender strip of paper. The words, or more likely symbols, on it were incomprehensible to her. However, the dotted line at the bottom of the paper, she understood.

'_The blood,'_ it hollowed out as another wispy tendril pointed to her cheek and then to the line, _'Your name.'_

"What does it say?" she asked.

"_Life for life,"_ It replied. She opened her mouth to speak again, but the smoke growled. The tendrils wicked tip hovered just an inch away from her eye.

That was all it took for her not to question the absurdity of signing something in a dream as she wetted her index finger in blood. She smeared the only name she'd been given onto the surprisingly sturdy piece of paper. Regret welled up the moment she lifted her finger off the paper, and she couldn't help feeling like she had given this lowly creature her soul on a silver platter.

The smoke laughed, _'No surname? I was right in choosing you as my champion. Someone who has no obligation to... family,' _he said that last part with obvious disdain.

"Like hell I'm your champion. After I release you, I want you out of my head."

The smokes echoed growl seemed to click rapidly, and the paper vanished into purple embers. Its tongue ebbed back into its monstrous maw.

'_As you wish. But first, because I am a mon of my word,'_

The smoke from the manhole extended outwards, and she was startled as it swept across her ankles. From it, a tiny, purple wisp swirled up and around Moxy's body. It was like a ribbon dancer, and Moxy couldn't help but feel charmed by its movements. However, that feeling soon vanished as the wisp dug itself through Moxy's nostrils. Her eyes watered from the stinging pain. As soon as it entered it was gone. She burst into a coughing fit, and the hurt in her stomach and shoulder seemed to alleviate.

_'There is no backing from our agreement now. You owe me a debt, signed in_ _blood_,' the voice boomed.

"What the hell did you do to me?!" Moxy demanded. Her insides felt as cold as a dead body.

_'Go to the north,'_ it continued, ignoring her hysterics,_ 'where the lands ruthless winds formed the desert ruins. Find my tomb, and destroy it, so I may once again breathe in your realm,'_

Moxy was puzzled, but one thought crossed her mind, "The desert in the north? Do you mean Route 111? Out of all the places, you choose the one place anyone with a sane mind would never go. People get lost in that desert!"

_'My subordinates will lead you. However, the journey will be as harsh as the land itself. You have all the time to prepare. But if you ignore me, I will make no hesitations to take back what I gave. Only when I'm free will the debt be paid. Until then, your life is- GAAHHHH!'_

A terrible scream echoed throughout the darkness. The last building had finished melting, turning the city into a landscape of stone that went on for miles. The smoke seemed to distort like bad reception from a television. Moxy didn't know how to react. Should she try to attack it now that it was in pain? How would she even do it?

Before she could do anything, however, the voice ordered wearily, '_Do not dally. Till next time... champion,"_

The smoke shrank back into the manhole. As soon as it was gone, Moxy's world turned upside down, and she began falling upwards and into the dark sky. She screamed, flailed her legs, and tried to get a grip, but it was no use. The void drew closer and closer, and out of its inky depths, she could make out two, purple eyes glaring back at her. As soon as she was caught in its jaws, her vision erupted into nothingness.

* * *

The winter morning had bestowed clear skies to the region. The numerous maple and sycamore trees shed their drab-brown leaves, and the wind whistled through their barren branches. The sun had already begun to creep up from the horizon, bathing the land in a golden glow.

In the middle of a clearing, a great, stone castle loomed. The flat, grassy plains of its estate spread far until reaching a cliffside, and far below stood a long bridge over a clear river. At the bottom, people were setting up tables and party banners. The melodic combination of a flute, an acoustic guitar, and a golden voice could be heard all the way up to the edge of the cliff, where a tall boy sat cross-legged beside a lilac feline.

A breeze soared over his brown and messy faux-hawk. His wiry arm was wrapped around his Espeon, and his blue-eyes watched the performance below as he hummed along to their song.

_'I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls,_' the lyrics played in his head, '_Gazing fixedly into the blue sea, I bemoan with shed tears,_'

Beside him, the Espeon sang along, her hum more of a pleasant trill.

'_As I yearn for the lovely gulls soaring above the blue harbor. As I yearn for you,_' the last part wasn't part of the lyrics, but something he added as the song came to its conclusion. It was sappy as hell, but he couldn't hold back his emotions. Espeon touched his shoulder with her forked tail.

"I hope we see her again, Espeon," Charles returned her amiable gesture with a rub on top of her head, which elicited a purr from the feline.

In the distance, tires against dirt made it to Charles' ears, and he looked over his shoulder to see a sleek-black luxury car coming to a screeching halt by the castle entrance. Three people stepped out, and Charles could easily distinguish the large, burly figure among them.

"Father's here?" Charles questioned aloud. He made sure his black and white jacket was zipped up all the way. Espeon stared at her trainer, her starry eyes wondering what he wanted to do.

"Let's go," he said, a swath of confidence overcoming him. They picked themselves up and walked towards the castle.

* * *

The lobby was filled with sunlight as Charles pushed open the great, wooden doors of the castle by their brass, Hydreigon-shaped ring handles. When he and Espeon entered, the first thing to catch his eye was a large, oil painting of a gray-haired man at the other end of the lobby. The man wore a formal blue military uniform with epaulets and buttons adorned in gold. He looked similar to his father, but his face was much heavier and grizzled. Beside him knelt a Gallade, its expression as coarse as its masters.

The rest of the lobby was lit by a large, crystal chandelier hanging from an iron chain. If he thought his father's mansion in Hoenn was the peak of extravagance, this castle was far more luxurious. Gold-framed paintings were displayed along the speckless gray-brick walls. They each held the majestic portrait of other ancestors he'd never met. In the middle of the room stood a mannequin of a knight. Its black pieces of armor shined under the chandelier lights, and a wood shield the size of Charles rested in its plated gloves. Charles always thought the knight was watching him through the dark slits of its helmet, and it made him uncomfortable. A red carpet was sprawled out toward another set of doors at the back, where the portrait of his grandfather hung above.

Charles turned his head to the creaking of a side door. Espeon quickly composed herself, sitting on her haunches and frozen like she was a guard dog.

It was his father. A black trench coat covered him head to toe, and his brown hair was slicked back from his receding hairline. He wore a smile, but his weary eyes couldn't match with the rest of his tanned face.

"My boy," Walter's rough voice greeted. With arms outspread, he walked up to his son and embraced him in a hug.

"Father," Charles managed inside his father's tight squeeze. He freed Charles, but he kept his burly hands on his son's shoulders.

"The principal called. Finishing all your test with a total of ninety-seven? Good job,"

Charles waited for his dad to continue his praise, but it ended there. '_All that work and it's just a good job?_' Charles thought while forcing a smile and nodding. Long nights, tiny breaks, and a deep-fried brain. At least he was qualified to be a cop now.

"I'm going to get out of this Mankey suit and meet you in the dining hall. I asked Phoebe to whip us up a quick breakfast. Oh, and your brother's here, too, along with Halley."

"Elliot's here?" Charles perked up, "how long is he staying?"

"About five days, as am I," Walter answered, letting go of Charles and walking away, "I'm expecting you at the table in a quarter-hour,"

And just like that, he was gone. Espeon relaxed her form, and a drop of sweat trickled down her head. She meowed at Charles, and one of her ears fluttered.

"Today's the day, Espeon," Charles said, tightening his fist, "Today's the day we leave Unova."

Charles entered through the middle door quickly, eager to get out from under the gaze of his grandfather's portrait. The red carpet continued through the hallway, also lit with smaller chandeliers until he reached a rectangular room. A white table cloth was draped over the long dining table. Woman wearing black maid uniforms hurried to place porcelain plates and silver utensils in front of the mahogany chairs. Espeon had to side-step to avoid bumping into a maid holding some delicate wine glasses.

Sitting down at the left side chair closest to the table end was his brother, Elliot, clad in white. Frills adorned his high-collar suit, and his ash-gray hair fell down to his shoulders. A woman sat next to him. Unlike Elliot, her attire consisted of black articles. Her designer blouse was tucked into her skinny black jeans, and her deep-green hair was tied into a bun using two wooden sticks. Both Elliot's and her hands were intertwined, and their heads were touching side by side.

Upon seeing him, Elliot gestured Halley to look at him. Elliot's mouth opened as he was about to greet him, but the woman beat him to the draw.

"CHARLES!" she screamed, jumping out of her seat.

"Hi, Halley," Charles deadpanned. Once Halley reached him, she gave Charles two air kisses on both his cheeks. Espeon purred, trying to get Halley's attention.

"Its been for-ever!" she started. Her voice sounded like a popular girl from high-school.

Elliot, who was still dazed from Halley's enthusiastic scream, walked slowly beside Halley, "Ah, Charles. And dearest Espeon. How do you fair?"

Espeon meowed happily as she danced around Elliot's feet.

"I don't know about her, but I'm pretty beat, to be honest," Charles replied, adding a yawn for good measure.

"AHHHHHHH!" Halley's uncontrollable joy startled everyone. Even Espeon jumped away from them, hissing at Halley, "Oh I'm so sorry I couldn't help myself! Walter told us! Six months Charles!? The fastest Elliot ever completed it was in eleven! Unbelievable!"

"Mhm, yes, Charles," Elliot agreed, his eyes narrowed at Halley, "It is quite the accomplishment, to say the least,"

"Oh, all the girls will be swooning over him!" she added, and she giggled upon seeing Charles' face turn red.

"What about you two? Where did you guys go?" Charles quickly changed the subject, kneeling to calm Espeon. She purred again as she was being petted.

At hearing his question, Halley wrapped her arm around Elliot's neck. Him being taller than she was, he was pulled down a little, "Oh, hubby took me on a little vacation to Johto! We went to Goldenrod, Cianwood, relaxed on the beach. You know, vacation stuff! And it was sooo much fun!"

"What my dear wife is trying to say is that we traveled to Johto to celebrate our seventh anniversary since getting married," Elliot explained while wiggling out of Halley's embrace, "We shall be heading off to Sinnoh in a few days. However, before we go there, Halley here wants to visit her family in Hoenn-"

Behind them, a loud clang erupted, and the three turned around to see the steel vase that had just clattered onto the marble floor.

"I'm terribly sorry, Master Elliot!" one of the maids spoke up. Elliot, however, was frozen in shock. Charles looked at Elliot's right hand, and it was shaking.

"I'm so clumsy... Phoebe will have my head..." the maid muttered, and she used a towel to clean the spilled water and flowers on the floor.

Halley looked about ready to burst on the woman, but Elliot raised his hand in front of her, "Don't worry, I'm fine," he whispered.

But Charles knew he wasn't. It might have been a long time ago, but Elliot suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. His journey did a number on him. Halley also suffered, but to a lesser degree.

"I didn't mean to scare you both," Elliot apologized, "Let's sit down for the moment?"

Charles nodded quickly, and they all took their seats at the table. Charles and Elliot caught each other up about their lives. Halley explained her brand-new job as a news reporter in Sinnoh, and Elliot was still working as a police officer there.

As Charles sat there listening to them, he couldn't help feeling a little distraught. Elliot was still an officer? It was an honorable job, for sure, but Charles was scared his future would be looking a bit bleak if that's how everyone in his family ended up for the rest of their lives.

"You okay, Charles?" Halley asked, snapping Charles out of his stupor. Espeon was curled up at Halley's feet, her ears twitching as she napped.

"Like I said, just a little tired," he forced a smile.

The wooden doors to the dining room suddenly swung open. In all his splendor appeared Walter, his large frame tightening through his black vest and a white button-down.

"I knew that was your lovely voice I was hearing, Mrs. Greaves," Walter greeted.

"Oh, Walter," she laughed, "When will you start calling me Mrs. Lockwood? I am part of the family now, right?"

"I apologize. I still see you as Elliot's girlfriend seven years ago," he chuckled and sat down at the head of the table. At that moment, Charles' arm hair's stood on end. Espeon could feel it, too, because she quickly got up from Halley's feet and hid behind her trainer.

A Bisharp entered behind Walter. The first person he looked at was Halley, and his eyes darted to each and every person in the room, including Espeon. When his harrowing gaze fell on Charles, the boy became nauseous. No one else seemed to care that Bisharp was in the room because Charles heard Halley laugh at a joke Charles was too preoccupied to hear.

All of the voices were drowned out as Bisharp stared Charles down like he knew all his plans. The scratches and chips in his bladed gloves were made noticeable under the soft chandelier lights. His tiny eyes never faltered. His stance wouldn't yield. It was a challenge to see who would break first.

And then Charles looked away. He could make out Bisharp's unsatisfied grumble as the knight began to march towards the far corner of the room, his steel boots clinking against the marble.

"Anyways, that's enough about us," Elliot said to Walter, "Today is about celebrating to Charles,"

"Agreed," Walter replied. He picked up a silver bell on the table and jingled it, "The food, Phoebe,"

As soon as he said it, the door across from them opened. Four maids entered, each hoisting a covered silver platter in their arms. Espeon moved out of the way, and she was entertained by the maid's coordinated movements. They walked in unison until each was beside a diner, and they set their platters on the table together. Another maid entered, but she was wearing a red uniform. The bottom half of her dress was rounder and bigger than the other maids and her auburn hair was tied into a ponytail.

She snapped her rough hands, and the maids uncovered the platters. Charles' senses went numb upon smelling the delicious potato and egg omelet within. The bite-sized potatoes were chunky with various ingredients mixed in, and the cheese-filled eggs looked incredibly soft, like pillows.

"My lord," the red-uniformed woman started, her voice intense but graceful, "Presenting a soufflé omelet stuffed with fresh Gogoat cheese beside fried potatoes mixed with vegetables. And a pinch of Occa berry zest from the gardens to garnish,"

"Mmm," Walter set the bell down and sniffed the air, "Smells perfect, Phoebe,"

"I am gratified, my lord," Phoebe bowed, picking up her dress slightly. The other maid's copied her before they each left the room in a single file, with Phoebe the last to leave as she shut the doors behind the diners.

Without another word, Walter picked up the biggest of the three forks and a knife beside him and cut out a piece of the omelet. Charles waited; it was customary for the head of the table to taste the food before anyone else. Walter took a bite, and a few seconds later, everyone else followed suit. Charles picked up his fork, ready to dig in.

"That's the salad fork. And use the knife," Walter interrupted Charles, eyeing him.

"Apologies, father," his face reddened as he switched his fork and picked up the knife, as his father said.

The flavors were so simple, yet cooked to perfection, and the subtle spiciness left Charles wanting more with each bite. Living in the house, he only ate boiled eggs or something similarly healthy in the morning. However, it was always a treat when Phoebe cooked for the household. And she only cooked when Walter was here. Espeon placed her paws at Charles' chair, her mouth salivating. Charles poked some eggs with his fork to feed Espeon.

"No, Charles," Walter stopped him, eyeing the feline. He jingled the bell on the table again, and one of the maids entered immediately.

"Get some food for the pokemon here," Walter whispered to her. The maid bowed quickly and retreated. Charles mouthed a sorry to Espeon, and her ears drooped.

"So, how was your final exam?" Walter asked, patting his mouth with a cloth napkin.

"Not too hard," Charles replied. Anxiety festered inside him, and he wondered if he would even be able to bring up his proposal to Walter.

"That's good to hear. Nothing is a challenge for Lockwoods," Walter praised, and Charles couldn't help feel stung by how indirect it was.

Yet Charles nodded again.

"And what do you plan on doing now? I hear the police station is looking for new recruits in Opelucid. Maybe I could put in a good word to Drayden for you. How does that sound, my boy?"

There was a silence at the table. Charles hoped Elliot or Halley would talk to take the pressure off him, but they too had become interested in that question. Walter gave Charles a stare just as cold as the Bisharp in the corner of the room. Seconds passed like hours, and Charles became ecstatic when the door creaked open. Phoebe held a bowl full of colorful pellets and placed it on the floor in front of Espeon.

"Pellet medley, Master Espeon," Phoebe announced. Espeon eyed the table again, giving Charles a despondent look. In any other situation, Charles would share his own food with Espeon. However, this wasn't any of those situations.

Phoebe gave Charles and Espeon a blue-eyed wink before bowing and exiting. Espeon took a whiff, and she suddenly took an interest in her food.

"Well, Charles?" Walter asked again, clasping his hands together.

Charles turned back to the table. This was his moment. To anyone else, it should have been an easy question. But he needed to be careful around his father.

"I want to go to Hoenn," Charles announced, "O-on a journey,"

"Oh, that's a splendid idea!" Halley bubbled almost immediately, nudging her husband with her elbow. Elliot smiled nervously, and he aired his collar with a finger. A tension was swelling between Walter and Charles, and everyone could feel it, barring Halley.

"Splendid is a word," Walter stated, picking up his fork to take another, slower, bite of his food.

Charles cleared his throat before continuing, "I'm finished with the academy, and I wish to go on a journey in Hoenn,"

Walter chewed his food, and Charles could almost hear the cogs turning in his brain. Charles' heart was beating hard now, the anticipation of his father's choice already crushing him. His father swallowed, and there was a split second of silence.

"Why not journey here, in Unova?"

"Hoenn is a land I wish to experience more of," Charles replied, looking down guiltily. That was a reason, but not the truth.

And Walter seemed onto him, "Hoenn is much more dangerous now than ever. I was just there. A gang has risen, believe it or not,"

"Oh yes, the news outlet's calling them the Red Hoods, right?" Halley asked Walter, excited like it was the latest gossip.

"Indeed," Walter concurred.

"Y-Yes," Charles rebutted, "but isn't it dangerous here, too? Team Plasma is still out there-"

Upon saying Plasma, the fork in Elliot's hand collapsed. Charles could tell he messed up as Walter banged a fist on the table. His father's expression broke into anger as if he were looking for any excuse to crack down on Charles. Espeon jolted from her munching, her ears flattening at Walter's rage.

"Please," Elliot reassured, and Halley took his clammy hand to comfort him, "It's childish of me to get distressed every time someone says Team Plasma. Ignore me,"

Walter frowned, but he stayed silent and allowed Charles to finish his case.

"Its true, father. And I find it so languishing in the castle, just me and the maids. I want to explore new regions. I'm not the same boy I was six months ago. I'm stronger now!"

And that was the kicker. Walter sat back in his seat, and for the first time all day, a small grin spread on his face as he raised his eyebrow. Charles felt like he activated a trap of some sort.

"Is that so? Then I suppose you'll have no qualms if I... test you?"

'_Dammit,_' Charles bit his lip. He'd heard of this before from Elliot, so why did he ever assume it would be different this time around? Charles could feel a presence upon him from the back of the room. Bisharp was facing him now, and it was as if he and Walter were synchronized in emotion. Espeon shuffled to Charles' side, scared witless.

"Come on then," Walter stood from his seat, clutching the bell handle in his fist and rattling it, "Let's see if you're words hold merit, shall we?"

A maid entered the room, the vigorous ringing whipping her into a panic, "Yes my-"

"Clean this up," Walter ordered. A snap of his fingers later, and the Bisharp in the corner of the room sprinted to his side at a speed Charles couldn't even fathom, "Meet me in the castle courtyard in a half hour. Be ready,"

With that parting note, he and Bisharp strutted out of the dining room. Espeon went wide-eyed, and when she and Charles stared at each other, their hearts dropped simultaneously.

"Oh, can we watch!?" Halley perked up suddenly. Elliot, the dear loyal big brother he was, had stifled back a peal of laughter.

"Most certainly, Halley. I wouldn't miss this for the world,"

'_What did I do to deserve this?_'

* * *

Charles looked over to the other side of the field where Walter waited, his arms crossed together. The sleeves of Walter's white button-up were rolled up, revealing his hairy logs for arms. Beside him was a strange, silver briefcase, and Charles wondered what Walter had in store for him. They stood inside a large, circular sandpit designed for battles, with an equally sized amphitheater surrounding them. Charles picked out Elliot and Hally in the front row, and he saw the former pop a pill from a small, orange container. Only the cloud-speckled sky was visible to Charles since the sun was hidden behind the dark castle walls that shrouded him in shadows.

"GO CHARLES!" Halley's shrill cheer echoed across the clearing. Elliot gave his brother a silent nod.

"Send out your fighters!" Walter called out.

"Stay here, Espeon," Charles told the lilac feline beside him. He unclipped one of three pokeballs from his side. He was prepared for this.

"I said fighters!" Walter yelled again, this time more irritated, "This will be a triple battle!"

"Three versus three?" Charles stammered, "Couldn't we at least make it a two on-"

"No! You say you're strong? Prove it. Unless you want to be at a disadvantage, you should send out all three!"

Gritting his teeth, Charles unclipped the second pokeball. This was troublesome. Charles excelled at one versus one, but he hardly ever fought in triples. The problem was that he would have thrice as many orders to make in a short window of time, and his focus would be constantly shifted to monitor the battle. Nonetheless, Charles tossed them into the air. The pokeballs exploded with multi-colored light, and sand dispersed beneath his pokemons landings.

One was purple and about the same height as Charles. The red stripes on his arms seemed to swell with his flexing biceps. With a stomp from his powerful right leg, he roared and beat his chest. Beside him, the sand was hastily drudged up as an orange insectoid burrowed herself into the ground.

Machoke, unaware of his fearful partner, turned to Charles and gave him a thumbs up and flashy smile before adjusting the belt tightened around his waist.

"Yes, bravo, Machoke," He complimented his pokemon's uproarious entrance, though he was more worried about the pokemon hiding in the ground next to him. Machoke, feeling validated, knelt on one knee and curled a bicep for Espeon this time. She just snorted, not impressed in the slightest.

Machoke cried out a protest, but his trainer's attention was focused elsewhere.

"Don't be scared, Trapinch," Charles called out to the dark hole in the ground. A few seconds later, the Trapinch's large head peeked out of the sand, and her wet, star-shaped eyes gazed sadly at Charles.

"We're all friends here, right?" Charles stooped down to her level, careful not to make his new pokemon uncomfortable. He shot a desperate look at Espeon and Machoke for their approvals. With weak smiles, they too nodded along with him. She let out a maraca-sounding murmur before unearthing herself, the sand cascading down her shell-like back.

"Espeon, Machoke, and Trapinch, hm?" Walter scratched his beard as he assessed the three pokemon. From inside his pocket, Walter pulled out two ultraballs and tossed them horizontally. Machokes vigor dissipated like smoke, and Trapinch froze in fear upon seeing their opponents emerge from the light.

From the pokeball light, a brown, bipedal pokemon on the other side of the battlefield bore his massive arms into the sand. Upon pulling them out, he had created two, sandstone pillars that he clutched like walking canes. The thick tendons curled around the Conkeldurr's hunched body made Machoke's muscles look like noodles, and he glared at his purple adversary with dark-ringed eyes.

The other, smaller pokemon wore a cute, black skirt, and she shook the black buns on the side of her head charmingly. The Gothorita turned her attention on Espeon, and she waved happily in her direction. Espeon brought her nose up in contempt. A mortified expression came over Gothita, and Charles thought he could see tears welling in her eyes. Conkeldurr set one of his pillars down and nuzzled Gothorita's head with one of his oversized fingers. Gothorita giggled before hugging the ogre, and it scared Charles to see her mood swing so easily.

"Where's Bisharp?" as soon as he said that, Charles was quick to curse himself when a shadow flipped over him from behind. With a rattling landing, the Bisharp's blades were spread out as he broke his fall with a kneel. Raising his armored head, he turned his back to Charles and walked to his teammates.

Conkeldurr smirked and said something to Gothorita, probably a mock of Bisharps grandiose entrance at the tone of his voice. However, the psychic's skirt quivered upon gazing at the dark type, despite them being on the same team.

Bisharp pointed a blade at Conkeldurr, and it uttered a sound like a long sword unsheathing.

"_D__eehh_?" Conkeldurr jeered, and he let go of his pillars while crushing his palms together. He straightened his form, which made him look a lot bigger and scarier than he should have.

"Enough, Conkeldurr!" Walter shouted. The two pokemon stared each other down before Conkeldurr acquiesced to Walter's order. Walter bent down and picked up the mysterious briefcase. Opening it, Charles saw two, long steel boxes resting inside it. Bisharp held out his hands in front of his master, and Walter took the boxes and slipped them through Bisharp's gloves. After he was done, Bisharp's cruel blades were hidden inside the boxes as if his gloves turned into mallets.

Charles felt a little at ease. Not only did it seem Walter's pokemon had trouble getting along, which he might be able to use to his advantage, but Bisharp was fighting with a handicap. Charles beckoned his pokemon with a hand, and all three of them huddled around him.

"Okay, here's the plan," he voiced his thoughts, "they're a trio of Dark, Fighting, and Psychic. They cover for each other's weaknesses, especially since Bisharp is a steel type that can deal with fairy types. He also shouldn't be able to use slashing moves with those restraints on, so this should be manageable for you,"

All of his pokemon nodded in understanding, though Trapinch's legs looked like unstable table legs. This was her third battle, and in all honesty, Charles didn't want her to fight. However, he was going to need her help to win.

"You and you," Charles pointed at Espeon and Machoke, "can deal with Bisharp and Conkeldurr easily. However, Gothorita will be a bit of a problem, since none of you know any dark or ghost type moves. Well, except for you, Trapinch. Which means I am counting on you," Charles said. Trapinch's zigzagged teeth chattered. Her timidness was going to be a problem.

"So, I think its safe to say that Bisharp will attack first, with Conkeldurr behind him and Gothorita far at my father's side of the field. Machoke, you will guard Espeon against Bisharp's dark type attacks. Trapinch, burrow in the ground when Conkeldurr and Bisharp close in. Dig your way behind Gothorita and try to immobilize her in a Sand Tomb. I can't stress how important this battle is for our collective future, so don't hold back. Do you all understand?"

His pokemon looked at one another, and with serious eyes, they barked out their acknowledgments in unison.

"Good. Now let's get them," Charles smiled.

On the other side of the battlefield, Walter raised his arm to get Charles' attention, "Are you ready?!"

Charles nodded.

"This will be a three versus three battle! If you surrender or lose, you will have the opportunity to battle as many times as you'd like until I leave in five days," Walter explained.

_'I'm only going to need one,'_ Charles smirked.

The stage was set. All of the pokemon took a step forward.

And that was when Walter walked away from the battlefield and toward the stairs leading to the amphitheater.

"F-father! Where are you going?!" Charles asked.

"I will be the referee for this match!"

"Then who will command your pokemon?"

Bisharp shot his arm to his side as he and his teammates marched forward. Conkeldurr and Gothorita made sure they never crossed in front of Bisharp. Walter wasn't Charles' opponent; Bisharp was.

Charles froze. How was he supposed to counterplay orders when he couldn't speak a shred of pokespeak? A glare from Bisharp told him all he needed to know. This fight wasn't going to be fair. Espeon looked over her shoulder, her eyes full of fear.

His pokemon were counting on him. If he could just take out Bisharp, then...

"Begin!" Walter yelled from the edge.

"Just like we discussed! Espeon, Psybeam!" Charles called out. Espeon instantly shot a beam of multicolored rings from her forehead at Conkeldurr. As expected, Bisharp jumped in front of the beam, and the attack fizzled out. Trapinch dug into the ground just as Conkeldurr began to run forward, his fist tightened and coating themselves in flames.

Bisharp hissed out an order. At once, Conkeldurr came to a screeching halt. He backpedaled next to Gothorita while creating two sandstone pillars in his hands again. Charles' heart skipped. He didn't need to learn pokespeak to understand what Bisharp had instructed: protect Gothorita.

"Trapinch, retreat!" Charles yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping the ant could hear him under the earth. Fortunately, Trapinch resurfaced next to Machoke. Her face was filled with confusion, not understanding why Charles had told her to retreat until she saw Conkeldurr. He was glaring at Trapinch as if she ruined his playtime.

Gothorita began to chant, her eyes changing from blue to neon purple as she snatched Conkeldurr's pillars in her psychic grip. The pillars were shot one at a time at Trapinch and Machoke.

"Move, Trapinch!" Charles yelled. To his dismay, she was immobilized as the pillar soared towards her at an alarming speed.

Without a second to lose, both of Machoke's fists glowed white, and he punched each pillar as they came, exploding them into multiple shards. He cocked his fists back like a smoking gun, not a scratch on them, and Trapinch stared at the muscular pokemon in awe. He turned to Charles, flashed his teeth, and gave the boy a thumbs up.

Suddenly, Espeon cried out. The sand in Bisharp's wake was tossed behind him as he took off into a full-on sprint, his gloves charging with black energy.

"Machoke, defend her! Trapinch, counter attack!" Charles' mouth turned dry from shouting so much. Trapinch scrambled to dig into the sand, and Machoke planted himself in front of Espeon, his forearms raised to take the blunt Night Slash head-on.

Bisharp sprinted in an arc around Espeon's defender. Machoke made sure to wedge himself between Bisharp and Espeon, but strangely, Bisharp seemed to completely forget about them. The earth erupted behind Bisharp, but he was too fast for Trapinch's surprise attack. Charles had hoped Bisharp would attack Machoke to allow Trapinch to trap him in her jaws, but apparently, the knight had other plans. The darkness around his gloves had faded away, and Bisharp continued sprinting.

Towards Charles.

He froze for a good second upon witnessing Bisharp's impending blitz, and before he could get his bearings, he was already too late. Bisharp thrust the top of his right mallet directly into the boy's stomach, and Charles lurched forward. Water streamed from his eyes, and he coughed out a piece of his breakfast before falling to his knees. He would have been impaled was it not for the gloves. Looking up into Bisharp's condescending eyes, they were void of empathy, and there was no doubt in his mind Bisharp would have gone for the killing blow.

Machoke and Espeon ran to Charles to save him, but Bisharp spun on his heel. Charles could feel the cold steel pressing directly on the nape of his neck, and it sent a shiver down his spine. With a voice like nails on a chalkboard, Bisharp yelled at his righteous opponents.

"Bisharp is asking if you will surrender!" Walter called out from the amphitheater.

"w... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Charles' scream was directed at his father as he clutched his stomach. Espeon cried out hysterically, and Machoke had to put his burly hand on Espeons back to keep her from running to her trainer. Machoke's red pupils were contracted. Even Trapinch was frozen in fear.

"Do. You. Surrender?!" Bisharp nudged Charles' nape again, this time a little harder. If Charles didn't surrender, he had no idea what Bisharp would do, and if his father would stop him from doing it.

In the sand, he thought he could make out the face of a beautiful girl. She stared at him, and she looked sad. Saliva had begun to drip from his mouth, mudding up the dirt. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't.

But what could he do?

"I... surrender," Charles seethed.

As soon as Charles uttered that last word, his world turned black.

* * *

The room Charles was sitting in was cold and empty. Like his heart. Like his brain. He didn't know what to do, and he couldn't control the trembling in his body. Moonlight peeked through a tiny window, creating a god ray in the attic room.

It had been three days since his first battle with Bisharp. And since then, he had battled the dark knight about three times more. He lost every time, and whenever he wanted a rematch, Walter had forced him to take a few hours to heal and contemplate. However, time was against him. His father and brother would be leaving soon, and if he wanted to travel with them, then he had to win.

Charles buried his head in his bandaged palms, and he shifted a little on the musty crate he sat on. After he had woken from the first match, Charles had fumed to his father about disqualifying Bisharp. However, if Bisharp as the trainer was also fighting, then so must Charles. Which was complete bullshit, but what could Charles say?

He had mused about just leaving Unova by himself. He was eighteen. By law, he can't be kept by force. But his family was important to him, especially Walter. No matter how crude he treated Charles, he knew he was just being strict to shape him into a respectable man. Charles was still a kid. But winning this battle would prove he was worthy of being treated as an equal.

Unfortunately, his opponent was unbeatable. The last battles played in his head like a movie. He tried to play defensively, knowing Bisharp was banking on taking down Charles as soon as possible. It made sense; take down the king, win the match. So he gathered his pokemon around him, using Trapinch to create Sand Tombs in places Bisharp could stumble into. However, after Gothita had blasted Machoke with a Psybeam, Conkeldurr simply tossed Bisharp over the sand traps like an unholy trapeze artist and breached his defenses from above.

After being knocked out yet again, he tried a combination of having Machoke defend him while Trapinch and Espeon faced all three of his opponents by themselves. Stupid plan, turning it into a three vs two. As soon as his lead fell, Machoke became an easy picking.

His last attempt was to have his entire team rush Bisharp, but he forgot about Gothita and Conkeldurr. They snuck around and forced Charles to surrender. Which he did.

Charles had made a flaw in his planning. Despite his opponents bickering at each other, their teamwork matched that of a coordinated football team or a pack of Houndour. It was now a test of experience, and his entire team was lacking. Even Espeon, his partner for six years now, had trouble working with the rest of his pokemon.

Three knocks suddenly sounded from the trapdoor, and Charles raised his head.

"May I enter?" he heard Elliot's voice from below.

Charles was silent.

"I'm coming in,"

The trapdoor creaked open. Charles winced when Elliot banged his head against the low ceiling.

"Oh, my poor head..." Elliot muttered, rubbing it.

"What do you want?" Charles slouched, his heart still heavy with defeat.

"To check on you. I assumed you'd feel horrible after your fourth loss."

"I'm fine!" he snapped, unlike himself, "I..."

He didn't know how to continue, and he turned away upon seeing Elliot's raised eyebrows. His brother silently took a seat next to him, the tapping of his white shoes echoed in the attic.

After a few awkward seconds, Charles finally decided to speak up, "You did this stupid test before, right?"

Elliot nodded, "At the time I faced Bisharp with Gallade and Gardevoir by his side,"

A smile crept on his face at hearing Gardevoir's name. It brought back some nostalgic memories.

"I miss her," Charles reminisced. Elliot's smile told him he felt the same way.

"It took me about twenty tries before we were able to strip a victory. By the skin of our teeth," Elliot continued.

"All you're telling me is I have to lose sixteen more times before I can even hope to win." Charles wallowed in his self-pity.

But a chuckle arose beside him, "It was nineteen tries just to understand exactly what kind of battle I was faced with. Charles, I hate to disappoint you, but there is no chance you will ever win. Do you have any idea how experienced Bisharp is? Conkeldurr? Granted, Gothita is one of Walter's newer partners. They've faced down the worst of the worst and crossed blades with the best of the best. And they aren't playing fairly-"

"There has to be a way!" Charles couldn't take that for an answer, "Please, Elliot. What do I do?"

"Why do you want to win so badly?"

Charles opened his mouth to say something but thought against it. Despite being siblings, Charles was too embarrassed to share his reasons.

But Elliot could easily figure it out, "It's about Moxy, isn't it?"

Silence filled the room.

"Charles..."

"I can't lose, Elliot," Charles' voice turned coarse as he blubbered, "She's out there somewhere. Lost. Scared out of her mind. I have to go back and find her. She... she's my best friend, and I..."

A tear plinked onto the stone floor. Just thinking about what Moxy could be going through wrenched his heart in a way he didn't think possible. He wiped his eyes so his brother wouldn't see his sadness.

Elliot put a hand on Charles' shoulder, "Don't fear those emotions. It's natural to feel that way about someone you love. I mean, if something were to happen to Halley, I don't know what I would do. Back then, I would have been shocked. Moxy was so innocent, and it breaks my heart to think she could do something like this. But then she almost burned down an orphanage-"

"She's changed!" he said, a little too loud, "she's changed. She made an error, and she learned from it. But now she's being framed. Something isn't right about any of this. I feel it in my gut!"

Elliot leaned back a little, which was hard to do on the crate, "Consider what you're saying. If she truly were innocent, don't you think she would have given herself up to the police?"

"You don't know the things she had to deal with! Kids taunting her. Police not taking her seriously! Elliot, she was framed of an INTERNATIONAL crime! Of course, she was going to run! It's in her nature!"

Elliot scoffed, "Brother-"

"We are finished talking about this. Will you help me, or will you leave me to lose for the fifth time?"

His blood was pumping now, and the heat of his rage made him swelter.

After a moment, Elliot sighed, "I apologize. Father would be outraged if I blatantly explained the way to win, but I shall give you a part of the solution.

"Bisharp's entire strategy revolves around fear," his brother explained, "If you should overcome fear, then you will have the opportunity to find victory,"

Charles just frowned, "Really? That's the best you can do? Give me something I can use. A weak spot. Unfavorable side. Anything!"

"That's all I'm allowed to say, and I've said too much. Are we okay, or should I expect the classic Charles cold shoulder for the next week?"

After a huff, Charles shook his head. Elliot stood up and began to climb down the trapdoor.

"Good. Sleep on it if you must, brother."

The attic was shrouded in silence once again.

What was he supposed to do with this information? Charles sighed. He loved his brother, but sometimes he was just as stubborn as his father. All this time spent trying to win this unnecessary battle was time he could use to search for Moxy.

Charles stood up, a newfound vigor coursing through his veins as he left to find his pokemon.

* * *

The wooden door creaked as Charles pushed it open. The room shared the same stone interior as the rest of the castle, and moonlight shone through large, vertical windows. Beds lined the sides, and Charles walked over to the closest bed. A small lump was hidden under the pure-white sheets. Hesitantly, Charles pulled the sheet up just enough so that he could peek inside. A lavender feline was hunched underneath, and her downcast eyes glowed within the darkness of the bed. It made Charles sad to see her like this.

"Hey," Charles said weakly. Espeon purred, but she hid her head under her paws. From the bed beside Espeon's, Charles saw Machoke get up and walk towards him. There was a bandage around his beefy chest where Gothita had blasted him. Charles looked to the other end of the room, where he saw another pair of beady eyes peeking at him from under a bed. Besides him and his pokemon, no one else was inside the medical bay.

"I'm not mad at any of you," he started, "I know Bisharp is scary, and that's okay. It's normal to be afraid of an opponent who is stronger than you,"

Machoke knelt in front of Charles. His head was lowered in defeat, and he was unable to look into his trainer's eyes.

"Please, don't be sad. To be honest... you all should be angry. At me," he said. Espeon wiggled her head out of the sheets, and she regarded Charles with a tilt of her head, "My strategy was flawed, and I'm not in the right headspace,"

He rubbed her chin with one of his bandaged palms. From the way she looked at his hand, she could tell it hurt to do that. However, he gave Espeon an assuring smile.

"All that's happened to us is that we lost a few battles. So what? The losses make us stronger. We learn and adapt. It doesn't matter how many times we have to lose. Bisharp will make a mistake, and we'll take that opportunity to win,"

Trapinch came out of her hiding place and wobbled over to Charles. She murmured in a grainy voice, and Charles knelt and gave her the same attention he gave Espeon.

"I'm sorry. I know I can be just as scared as you when it comes to my father," Charles said to Trapinch, "But I think we need to show Walter and Bisharp that we'll never give up. No matter how many times they knock us down, we will always get back up. We can't afford to be afraid anymore. Now, who's with me?"

Machoke raised his fist and let out an uproarious cheer so loud that Trapinch was taken by surprise.

"That's what I like to see! Show me those teeth, buddy!"

Machoke flashed his canines, and they glistened under the moon rays. Charles held his hand out, and Machoke slapped it. It hurt like hell, but his pokemons well-being was more important. Espeon jumped out of the bed, eager to join in on the team spirit.

Charles watched as his pokemon encouraged each other. In truth, he wasn't so sure about what he said. He had until after tomorrow to win, which wasn't enough time. But he couldn't have his partners feeling blue until then.

"Okay, everyone huddle in. I have a plan,"

* * *

Charles made his way down the stairs leading to the battlefield, the steps clinking under his boots. At the other end, he saw his opponents. Bisharp was sharpening his blades against the amphitheater wall, each scrape filling the air with a high-pitch whine. One of his red shoulder pads was dented. Elliot told him that Machoke did that after Charles was knocked out. Conkeldurr was snoring under the glaring sun, and how he was able to sleep under Bisharp's continuous scraping baffled Charles. Gothita was just staring at the ground. Charles wondered if Walter had ever let them leave the battlefield, and guilt welled deep in his gut. They were out here waiting for him.

Gothita looked up from her stupor, and a confused look befell her before she burst into a cackle. Conkeldurr sprung from his sleep, took one look at Charles, and immediately joined in on Gothita's laughter.

_'Great. This is going to go well,'_ Charles thought sarcastically before dragging the large, rectangular shield he was carrying to his side of the field.

Bisharp turned and looked at Charles' pathetic display of defense, but unlike his comrades, his cold eyes seemed to be studying him. Bisharp walked over to Conkeldurr, where his steel boxes were lying in the sand. He slipped them on and banged them together before shouting what sounded like a war cry. After two minutes of his opponents getting in position, Walter had come out from the other side of the courtyard wearing a thick, red robe and sandals.

"Boy?" he started, his eyebrows lowered in confusion, "Is that... the armor from the main hall?"

"It was the only armor in the castle," Charles replied loudly. The iron helmet twice the size of his head shifted forward, and he had to balance it back in place with his steel-plated gloves to see again. He could feel sweat forming under his jacket.

Walter pressed his fingers against his nose, "Right. And where are you're pokemon?"

Charles unclipped a single pokeball from his side and tossed it forward. Espeon appeared on the sand, shaking her fur under the sunlight.

"Just one?"

"I only need one to win," Charles said, if not a little too cocky.

Walter cracked a smile through his bushy beard, "In that case, let's see what tricks you've got under your sleeves this time! Begin!"

But Bisharp didn't move. He just stared Charles down. It was problematic that the knight wasn't buying into his charade. Espeon turned to give Charles an uneasy squint from her eyes, but Charles' gloves rattled as he pumped his fist in the air.

"Confusion!" he yelled with confidence. With a sharp nod, her forehead gem glowed bright red. A red wave shot out toward Conkeldurr, but Bisharp slowly walked in front of it. Peeking out from behind his back, Conkeldurr asked Bisharp something, but the dark type interrupted the ogre with a hiss as his eyes darted to the left and right. Gothita took a step forward, chanting as she charged her own Psybeam in her hands. However, her chants were cut off as Bisharp knocked her back with a backhand.

"_Grah_!" Conkeldurr protested, pointing at Charles like he was ripe for smashing. The psychic whimpered as she got back up, and she cried furiously at the knight. Bisharp ignored them and raised his right hand upward. Dark energy charged in his glove, and he spun around before extending his arm forward.

"Dark Pulse! Dodge!" Charles identified the attack just as the black beam was discharged toward Espeon and him. Charles readied himself behind his shield. A second later it rattled like it had tanked a battering ram. The sand gritted under his feet as he was pushed back an inch from the force. Charles looked out from his cover, and he was glad to see his shield was still in one piece.

Seemingly irked, Conkeldurr created a pillar in his hand and pushed through Bisharp. With a bellow, he stomped forward, holding his pillar as if it were a tree trunk. Bisharp yelled out an order, but the ogre ignored him.

"Now!" Charles yelled when the ogre was halfway across. The ground began to shake before Conkeldurr tripped forward, falling flat on his face. Trapinch had closed her jaws around Conkeldurr's stubby foot.

In a haste, Gothita charged another Psybeam, but Trapinch submerged herself back into the sand, Conkeldurr's foot still in her grip. The Psybeam struck Conkeldurr's back, and she let out an eep when the ogre turned his angry gaze at her.

"Espeon, Psybeam!" Charles called out while they were distracted with each other. Conkeldurr saw her charge the energy, but when he tried to move he found the hard sand had completely engulfed his entire leg. He took the pillar that had fallen from his grip and hurled it at Espeon. The pillar exploded as it collided with psychic energy.

"Again!" Charles repeated. Conkeldurr shouted at Bisharp before creating a wall of sand to shield himself. Surprisingly, it held up against the psychic attack.

Bisharp said something to Gothita before he glowered at Charles. Gothita levitated herself into the air and towards Conkeldurr while Bisharp broke into a sprint towards an unprotected Charles.

"Espeon, Confusion the ball, then Psybeam at Conk!" Charles primed the pokeball from his belt and tossed it in front of the feline. The pokeball was enveloped in a red glow before it shot like a bullet at Bisharp. As soon as it reached the knight, it exploded in a burst of multi-color light. Machoke had appeared from within, and his fist was already glowing white with fighting type energy. Unfazed, Bisharp flipped over Machoke's attack in a spin, his ribcage blades close to slicing Machoke's head open. As soon as Bisharp landed, he spun on his foot, tripping Machoke in the process.

"Trapinch, attack!" Charles yelled. Bisharp tried to dash away, but he was too late. Trapinch emerged from the earth before closing her jaws around Bisharp's steel boots. However, before Trapinch could pull Bisharp's foot under, the knight roared and slammed his steel glove into the sand. The shockwave caused the earth to rumble, and like a great beast, it regurgitated Trapinch. She careened in the air before landing on her shell-like back a little ways from Charles. She flailed her legs about, unable to get back on her feet.

"Machoke, Karate Chop! Espeon, grab Machokes pokeball!" Charles yelled. He abandoned his shield and ran towards Trapinch, his pieces of armor lugging him down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Conkeldurr scraping away at the sand around his leg. Espeon ran beside Charles, and she aimed her gem at the open pokeball lying in the middle of the field. She flicked her head and the ball shot toward Charles.

When Trapinch was blown away, Machoke's hand glowed white, and he swiped at Bisharp's chest. A loud clang echoed as Bisharp parried the Karate Chop with his mallet gloves. With no hesitation, Bisharp hissed an order and jumped away from another Karate Chop. However, his twisted foot caused him to trip, and the knight fell on his back. Machoke leaped forward and stood above Bisharp, his fist glowing white for a final strike.

"DO IT!" Charles yelled. However, Machoke never brought his fist down. He just stayed in place, and he gave Charles a pleading look from his eyes. Something was wrong.

"Machoke, recall!" Charles held Machoke's pokeball out, but nothing happened, and dread filled Charles when he saw the pokemon behind Machoke. The one he'd completely forgotten about.

The sun high in the air, Gothita's eyes glowed blue as she pinned Machoke's shadow with her foot. Bisharp stood up and limped towards Machoke. Conkeldurr had finally pulled his leg out, the sand mudded with the ogre's blood. And now all three of them loomed around the trapped pokemon, ready to beat him to a pulp.

'_Sorry, Machoke,_' Charles thought as he pushed Trapinch back onto her feet, "Sand Tomb on Machoke!"

Getting her bearings, Trapinch stomped her front feet, and a second later sand began to swirl around Machoke. His attackers jumped away from him, save Gothita who wouldn't take her foot off Machoke's shadow. The two began to descend slowly into the quicksand beneath them, and when they were a few seconds from being buried, Trapinch stopped the attack. Everything below Machoke's chest and Gothita's neck was trapped in the earth.

Bisharp clocked Conkeldurr in the back of the head and hissed angrily at him.

"Trapinch, dig," Charles said. With a quick nod, Trapinch dug back into the ground. Charles ran back to his shield on the floor. Using all his strength, he picked his shield back up and lodged its base into the sand.

A sheepish face about him, Conkeldurr laid his hand out into the ground, and as soon as Bisharp stepped on it he was thrown forward like a catapult.

"Espeon, behind me!" Charles shouted. The feline dashed behind Charles, and Bisharp launched into Charles' shield with a fist. The shield shattered in an explosion of splinters, and Charles' helmet flew off as he and Espeon were blown away by the force. He crashed onto the tough sand, his backbones erupting in pain. Bisharp recovered from his landing and limped slowly towards Charles.

The ground rumbled again, but Bisharp wasn't having any of it. He raised his right leg, which Trapinch favored most, as soon as she emerged from the sand. Charles winced from the clang that echoed when Bisharp caved her face in. She was knocked out immediately.

Scrambling to her feet, Espeon's body was enveloped in white energy as she charged Bisharp. However, Bisharp spun on his good foot like a ballerina, and Espeon had to skirt her attack lest she got shredded by his ribcage blades.

"Swift!" Charles called out desperately. Espeon's tail began to shimmer as she readied the attack. Bisharp raised his right arm, and dark energy began to coalesce around it. However, he turned his arm towards Charles. With wide-eyes, Espeon canceled her attack and Quick Attacked in front of Charles. Her eyes and forehead gem glowed bright pink as an ethereal bubble fizzled into existence around her. Bisharp's Dark Pulse was discharged at her, and the beam harmlessly bounced off the shield. With a loud bang, it exploded into the side of the amphitheater.

"Good job, Espeon!" Charles cheered. He was fortunate that she was finally able to use Magic Bounce to effect. Espeon admired the shield she had created, her eyes full of wonder and amazement.

However, their small victory was short-lived as Conkeldurr appeared at Bisharp's side. Bisharp hissed before getting on Conkeldurr's hand and taking to the air again.

"Keep up the shield!" Charles ordered. As if he had jinxed it, Espeon's shield had dwindled like a generator out of electricity. She charged another Swift in her tail as Bisharp descended on her.

Charles fumbled around his back pocket to pull out Espeon's pokeball, but he was too late. A weak cry escaped his pokemon's lips. Bisharp brought his fist back from her chest. Black smoke rose from her body, and she collapsed.

Bisharp scoffed before turning his gaze to Charles. He raised his arm and pointed at him before grumbling something.

"Bisharp is asking if you'll surrender!" Walter translated for Charles at the front row.

What could he even do now? All his pokemon were down and his plan had failed. Charles took a look at the metal palms of his black armguards. He balled them.

The battle wasn't over yet.

"I. Do. Not!" Charles replied, brushing the sand off him as he stood up. Bisharp shifted his arm from Charles to Espeon's direction, her fur frayed and battered, and Charles' heart skipped. He was willing to hurt Espeon to get a surrender out of him.

'_Fear is his strategy,_' Charles remembered Elliot say. This was a test, and Bisharp was trying to scare him into surrendering. Charles took a valiant step forward.

"Your quarrel is with me, not her!" he screamed, and Charles gulped when the dark type acknowledged him with a grin.

Conkeldurr called out to Bisharp, but the knight held his hand up as if gesturing him to stay back. Bisharp took a step forward, his bad leg dragging behind him like a zombie.

Summoning up the last of his courage, Charles picked up his fallen helmet half-buried in the sand. However, instead of donning it, Charles yelled and charged the knight, the helmet clasped between his hands like a rock. Bisharp defended himself with his mallets, but Charles slammed his helmet into them. The clang echoed out, and Bisharp momentarily dropped his arms. Without losing a second, Charles swung the helmet upwards, uppercutting Bisharp under the chin. The clang echoed out. Bisharp groaned loudly. He dropped backward, and with one, final glare, the knight was knocked out cold...

Is what Charles hoped had happened. The hollow helmet pathetically boinged against his durable gloves, and it slipped out of Charles' grip. Bisharp's eyes were darker than ever as he punched Charles in his gut. Charles lurched forward, but instead of giving in to his bodies painful pleas, Charles clobbered his fist into Bisharp's dented shoulder pad. The knight buckled, and he fell onto one knee. Before Charles could follow up, Bisharp pushed the boy back, and Charles tumbled into the sand.

Bisharp was furious now. He wriggled his gloves off, and his blades protruded with a metal hiss.

"Bisharp, stop!" Walter shouted, and for the first time in a long time, Charles heard fear in his father's voice. However, the knight ignored his master, and he advanced towards the boy. Charles' heart hammered in his chest. The wicked blade rose high under the sun, like the preparation of a guillotine.

"_Sssarrehhndaaarr..._" Bisharp hissed what amounted to an attempt at human speech.

With a shaky voice, Charles replied, "Never,"

Bisharp was still. The blade trembled above him. A breeze disturbed the sand around them, and silence filled the air for an indescribable amount of time.

His blades retracted back into his arms. Bisharp gave Charles a deep nod. He kneeled in front of Charles and bowed his head.

"Bisharp surrenders," Walter said beside them while shrinking a green and black pokeball in his hand before pocketing it. Sweat had trickled down his forehead, and he held his hand out for Charles. Charles took his father's hand, and a wave of nausea hit him as he was brought to his feet.

Bisharp stood up and stared at Charles. There was no longer any scorn in his gaze. Just a feeling of acceptance.

"Don't ever do that again," Walter whispered angrily at Bisharp. The knight gazed down from Walter's narrowed glare.

Charles felt like he'd just come out of a coma. He was in disbelief, and the realization of his efforts slowly grew in his mind.

He'd finally won.

* * *

"So, that's that. I apologize for what my pokemon did, but now you know exactly what going on a journey entails," Walter finished explaining. The dining table was littered with empty dishes, only crumbs where the food once was. Charles, Walter, Elliot, and Halley were relaxing under the chandelier lights.

"Do I get to go to Hoenn now?" Charles asked with a crooked smile.

"Erm," Walter coughed, "Well, you see-"

"Oh, please father," Elliot said next to Charles, "He proved he would never give up. That's the entire point of your belligerent test. Let him go,"

Walter strummed his beard, "Yes, he has proven that he wouldn't give up. I just hope its for the right reasons,"

Charles looked at him confused, and his father continued, "You aren't going to Hoenn on some foolish quest, right boy? A quest involving a certain, red-headed individual?"

"No," Charles blurted out, panic forming in his brain. Walter caught on, but before his father could speak, Charles raised a hand to chest level.

"I know what she's done, okay? I thought about it for a long time, and I've accepted the truth of the matter. She's a... bad influence, and it was my ignorance of her that allowed me to succeed at the academy. I never should have been her friend in the first place,"

There was a moment of silence. He glanced at Elliot, and he hoped his brother wouldn't spill the details of their last conversation.

Elliot's lips stayed pursed.

"I'll have to take your word for it, I suppose. And a deal is a deal," Walter shrugged, clasping his hands together. Charles couldn't help but feel guilty for lying to his father. Walter got up from the table and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He was about to say something, but the once silent green-haired woman beside Elliot now spoke up.

"Oh, speaking of friends, do you have anyone to journey with?" Halley interrupted, getting the entire table's attention.

"For the love of... leave him be, Halley," Elliot sighed, his tone suggesting he knew exactly where Halley was going with this.

But Halley kept looking at Charles like he was juicier than the Tauros steak they just ate. Even Walter had raised an eyebrow.

"Not really, no. It'll just be me and my pokemon,"

"Then I have a splendid idea! Let my sister go with you!"

If he thought Bisharp was scary, her suggestion was ten times worse, "Wait-"

"Bahaha! You're just full of surprises, Halley!" Walter exulted, nodding along with her, "Yes, Evelynne and I would feel ten times better knowing a..." Walter hesitated for a second, "two badge trainer was aiding Charles along his journey. What do you say, my boy?"

Walter was smiling, but Charles could see he was planning something behind those blue eyes looking down at him.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea..." Charles tried to refuse without hurting Halley's feelings.

"Please, Charles, I insist!" Halley pressed, laying her hands on the table towards him, "You're both basically at the same skill level. Like, I'm sure she'd even wait for you to gather a badge or two. She has a really hard time making friends, so it would mean a lot to her,"

"There will be no more questions then," Walter suddenly answered for a dreadful Charles.

"Bu-"

"I believe it would be a great opportunity, and honor, for the younger Ms. Greaves to accompany my son,"

Before Charles had a chance to protest, Walter had opened the door to the dining room.

"Pack your bags, boy. We leave at daybreak,"

* * *

Charles' mind was preoccupied with worry his entire flight back to Hoenn.

Halley had called ahead and told her family to meet her at the Lockwood Mansion, and her oblivious acknowledgment on the matter made Charles feel like he never really had an option to say no from the beginning. Travel with her sister? That was the last possible thing he'd want to do. He couldn't tell them why, however, for his true reasons would most definitely anger his father.

He just hoped the opposite party would decline, seeing how Halley's sister was just as hostile to him as he was to her.

A sense of familiarity greeted him upon entry. Unlike the prison that was the castle, the white walls of his old home welcomed him with open arms.

"Shall I bring your bags upstairs, young Charles?" the grayed man at the entrance asked.

"Yes, Caldwell," Walter answered behind Charles, "Have the Greaves been greeted yet?"

"Of course, sir. They're awaiting you in the family room,"

With a burly hand around his shoulder, Walter motioned an unprepared Charles right around the corner.

And standing between a well-dressed, middle-aged couple, Charles spotted her. Green-haired head held high, narrow features, and gray eyes like a looming thundercloud.

It was Janice.

* * *

**Authors Note: I hope this episode filled your palate or at least made sense. I had some trouble trying to intertwine the last episodes ending with the beginning of episode three, especially because I time-skipped about six months ahead. Things should progress smoothly, or so I hope. In the end, thank you all for reading, and if there is something I can improve on, let me know in the reviews.**

**Cheers!**


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